Dubai starts administering China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine to residents

People wearing masks are seen at the International Airport of Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Dec. 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Xia Chen)

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has started administering China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine to Emirati citizens and Dubai residents who are aged 60 and above.

The DHA said that the move, which started from Jan. 31, is "in line with its keenness to provide the public with an opportunity to select between various types of vaccines available in Dubai."

Faridah Al Khaja, chief executive of DHA's Medical Support Services and Nursing sector, and chairperson of the COVID-19 vaccination steering committee, said that providing the Sinopharm vaccine is "part of the DHA's keenness to ensure the availability of COVID-19 vaccination services to all segments of the community, especially the older age groups who are considered to be among the high-risk categories."

The DHA said that it will reach out to those who already have pre-registered appointments for vaccination, and that the Sinopharm vaccine will be available to other segments of the population in future phases.

On Tuesday, the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention reported 3,310 new cases of COVID-19, taking the overall tally in the country to 309,649. Seven more deaths from the deadly virus were also confirmed, taking the country's death toll to 866.