With the administering of a COVID-19 vaccine well underway in the UAE, Emirates Airline has begun a vaccination programme for its employees.
Working with the Dubai Health Authority and the Ministry of Health and Prevention, the airline is amongst some of the first in the world to begin to offer employees a COVID-19 vaccination option.
With the Sinophram and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines both being available in Dubai, the Dubai-based airline is giving its employees access to both.
Ensuring accessibility of the vaccines for its employees is as easy as possible, inoculation appointments will be available seven days a week, 12 hours a day, with the aim those who are frontline aviation workers can be vaccinated as soon as possible.
Similarly, just as the general public are able to, Emirates employees can also receive the jab at designated vaccine hubs around the UAE.
Sinophram vaccine
Out of the two vaccines that are currently available in the UAE, the first to be administered was the Sinopharm vaccine.
The vaccine underwent clinical trials in Abu Dhabi during summer last year and it was confirmed by health authorities saying that the “analysis [from the trial of 31,000 people] shows no serious safety concerns”.
High-up government officials including His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai, Her Excellency Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaab, the Minister of Culture and Youth and more have received the Sinopharm vaccine.
Pfizer vaccine
Then, at the end of December, the COVID-19 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was approved to be administered in Dubai.
After undergoing numerous clinical trials, the vaccine has been found to have 95 per cent efficacy. Recently, the DHA outlined exactly who is currently eligible to receive the vaccine.
The vaccine has already started to be rolled out, with some government ministers already receiving their first doses. As of today, this now includes Director-General of the Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO) Her Excellency Mona Al Marri.
