As the UAE COVID-19 vaccination drive is well underway, big companies are throwing their support behind the initiative.
In line with this, ride-sharing giant Uber has just announced it will be offering discounts on rides to those who are seeking to be vaccinated.
Those intending to be vaccinated and use Uber to get to public vaccination centres across the UAE, they will receive 25 per cent off two rides up to Dhs20 each. This offer begins on January 25, 2020.
The move, according to Uber’s General Manager for the UAE, Rifad Mahasneh, is to do their part to support the government’s efforts to have 50 per cent of the population vaccinated by March.
“Since the onset of the pandemic, we’ve been looking at how we can support our communities, prioritise their health and safety, and ultimately keep cities moving at a time when mobility has been severely impacted,” he said. “The vaccination drive is part of the effort to leverage our technology to positively impact communities and support the government’s successful efforts in protecting the population against the virus.”
Residents across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah can now book trips to and from 43 centres in the Uber app. Here’s how you can do it.
- Tap the menu in the top left of the Uber app and select ‘Wallet’.
- Select ‘Add Promo Code’ at the bottom.
- Add the promo code SI2021UAE and get 25% off 2 Uber rides to/from vaccination centres up to 20AED each, valid until February 8th, 2021.
- Navigate to the rides home screen and enter the pick-up/drop-off location for yourself or the person you are booking for. Remember, the trip must start or end at the vaccination centres listed below.
- Confirm your trip.
Sinophram vaccine
There are currently two vaccines available in the UAE, the first being 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.
However, doses for the Pfizer vaccine are currently on hold due to the shortage of the vaccine globally.
