UAE PM receives COVID-19 vaccine, says 'proud of teams for making doses available'

United Arab Emirates (UAE) Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum on November 3 said that he received a dose of COVID-19 vaccine. While claiming that the doses are available in the nation, UAE PM credited the achievement to the teams who worked “relentlessly” to ensure that future in the nation will be better. He even shared an image of getting vaccinated with a medical staffer. Sheikh Mohammed’s update came after a series of UAE ministers took the vaccine over the past few weeks amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

While the global infections have continued to surge and many nations are being gripped with the second wave of the pandemic, UAE has reportedly authorised the emergency use of the vaccine as part of its measures to safeguard medical professionals in close contact with the patients of COVID-19. As per reports, the Gulf nation’s emergency measures is a part of it being fully aligned with the regulations and laws that allow a faster review of licensing procedures. 

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COVID-19 vaccine insurance scheme

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) and GAVI have jointly announced a scheme to provide compensation to people in low-income nations who might suffer any side-effects from COVID-19 vaccines. The scheme aiming to allay fears that could hamper the global rollout of shots would be implied in a total of 92 countries, mainly in Africa and South-East Asia. The criteria of selecting the nations which could avail the compensation are not yet known, AP reported.

The scheme was conceptualized after COVAX vaccine distributors showed reluctance to provide vaccine to be distributed to those countries which did not provide that could liability shield. As per WHO, the governments in the selected 92 nations would face little or no costs from claims brought by patients, should anything go unexpectedly wrong after a COVAX-distributed vaccine is administered. However, dozens of middle-income countries, such as South Africa, Lebanon, Gabon, Iran and most Latin American states, would not be offered this protection.

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