Our Correspondent
The UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHaP) has announced that the COVID-19 vaccine will be available to all citizens and residents above the age of 16, lowering the earlier minimum age requirement from 18. The ministry said it is part of the national campaign to inoculate 50 percent of the population against the virus by April.
All residents and citizens can take the jab free of cost. People living in Dubai have the choice of either the Sinopharm or the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine while other emirates offer the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine.
COVID cases
The UAE on January 20 recorded 3,506 new cases, and six deaths. MoHAP said that the total number of cases since the pandemic began has reached 263,729, and the death toll 762. With 3,746 people recovering from the virus in the past 24 hours, the total number of recoveries has reached 235,421.
As of January 20, the total doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered in the UAE have reached 2,161,150 while the vaccine distribution rate is 21.85 per 100 persons.
At-home vaccination
The UAE has also rolled out at-home vaccination service on January 12 to senior citizens, people of determination, those with chronic diseases and their families. Abu Dhabi, Ajman and Sharjah have dedicated call centres where eligible residents can book appointments.
Sharjah’s Social Services Department said it has received more than 300 requests for home vaccination which is free of charge.
Sharjah Police launched a health campaign “Together for Immunization” to provide vaccination for all its employees. By January 21, all officers and employees of the Sharjah Police will have taken the Covid-19 vaccine.
This is to reduce the spread of the virus, and provide safety and security for its staff who may face health risks due to the nature of their work.
