UAE PM Sheikh Mohammed gets dose of Chinese COVID-19 vaccine

The Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well as the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has received a dose of coronavirus vaccine as part of the third phase of trials. The ruler of Dubai shared a photograph of himself getting vaccinated by a medical staffer on Twitter.

Sheikh Mohammed tweeted, "While receiving the COVID-19 vaccine today. We wish everyone safety and great health, and we are proud of our teams who have worked relentlessly to make the vaccine available in the UAE. The future will always be better in the UAE."

According to an India Today report, Sheikh Mohammed was administered a shot of the coronavirus vaccine that was developed by the Chinese pharma giant Sinopharm.

Sheikh is, however, not the first minister who has taken the vaccine. A number of UAE ministers such as the Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and Defence Minister Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al-Nahyan have also taken the vaccine over a period of past few weeks as part of the ongoing vaccine trials.

Saudi's Crown Prince Salman has also taken part in the third phase of the COVID-19 vaccine by Sinopharm. The UAE has authorised the emergency use of the vaccine as part of the nation's efforts to protect frontline workers in close contact with coronavirus patients and ensuring their safety.

The UAE has not only approved the Sinopharm vaccine, but also the Russian vaccine candidate Sputnik V. Sputnik V trials will be held across United Arab Emirates, the second country after Belarus to participate in the programme. According to the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev, "The results of the UAE trial will be combined with the results of the trial in Russia and their countries." Dmitriev added that interim results can be published before November-end.

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