UAE reaches Covid-19 vaccination milestone as 100% of eligible people receive first jab

Number was reached as 19,694 doses of a Covid-19 vaccine were administered in past 24 hours

Nurse Deboral Musthafa prepares before administering the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at the NMC Royal Hospital DIP in Dubai.

Fiji Antony has a consultation with head nurse Ahalya Chandrashekar before her Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at the NMC Royal Hospital DIP in Dubai.

Mohammad Mohamm receives his Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at the NMC Royal Hospital DIP in Dubai.

Fiji Antony receives her Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at the NMC Royal Hospital DIP in Dubai.

Ranjani Poojari receives her Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at the NMC Royal Hospital DIP in Dubai.

The Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at the NMC Royal Hospital DIP in Dubai.

People are booked in for the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at the NMC Royal Hospital DIP in Dubai.

Anuj Dahal receives his Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at the NMC Royal Hospital DIP in Dubai.

Nurse Dennise Docil prepares before administering the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at the NMC Royal Hospital DIP in Dubai.

The UAE has reached a major milestone in its coronavirus vaccination campaign, as 100 per cent of eligible people have received their first dose.

More than 90 per cent have received both doses.

The number was reached as 19,694 doses of a Covid-19 vaccine were administered in the past 24 hours.

The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (Ncema) made the announcement on Twitter.

"19,694 doses of #COVID19 vaccine were given in the last 24 hours, to reach a total of 21,802,032 doses, with a distribution rate of 220.44 doses per 100 people. A percentages of 100% have received 1 dose and 90.18% is fully vaccinated of the population," Ncema said.

In the UAE, Covid-19 vaccines can be given to people over the age of 16 years. Some groups including pregnant women and those with certain health conditions are not eligible to take a vaccine, according to Ncema's website.

The UAE has administered more than 21.8 million doses since December last year, when the country embarked on a nationwide inoculation campaign.

The Emirates leads the worldwide Covid-19 vaccination charts, according to data collected from more than 130 countries by the Our World in Data project at the University of Oxford.

The UAE is followed by Cuba, where 89 per cent of people have had their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine. In third place are Singapore and Chile, where the figure is 88 per cent.

In Cambodia the number is 85 per cent and South Korea it is 82 per cent. Spain is the first European country on the chart, with 81 per cent of its population having received one dose.

Daily cases below 100

Officials reported 70 coronavirus cases on Friday, after an additional 263,429 tests were carried out.

Daily cases have remained below 100 since October 21.

Ncema said no one died from the virus in the 24-hour reporting period.

The UAE is due to reach another milestone on Saturday, with the country now only 23,462 tests away from reaching 100 million since the outbreak began.

Coronavirus around the world - in pictures

A Father Christmas figure holds Covid-19-related hygiene instructions for visiting the Christmas market in Hagen, western Germany. AFP

People wait to be vaccinated below Albrechtsburg castle and the cathedral in Meissen, Germany. AP

A pupil at the Petri primary school in Dortmund, western Germany. AFP

A drive-in vaccination centre at Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany. Reuters

Shoppers in face masks at a Christmas market in Frankfurt, Germany. Bloomberg

People in a queue reported to be 700 metres long wait to be vaccinated at the Philharmonic Hall in the northern German city of Hamburg. AFP

A medical worker administers a vaccine to a patient in a dressing room at the Theatre de Verdure vaccination centre in Nice, France. Reuters

Cyclists on a 'coronapiste', a temporary cycle path created during the pandemic in Paris, France. Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo set up about 60 kilometres of new cycling roads to take pressure off public transport during the pandemic. AFP

A healthcare worker administers a vaccine during a vaccination campaign for foreign tourists in Benidorm, Spain. AFP

Visitors have their Covid-19 health passes checked at the Christmas market in Trento, Italy, on its opening weekend. Reuters

Health workers administer booster shots at San Giovanni Addolorata Hospital in Rome, Italy. EPA

The closed Christmas market next to Stephen's Cathedral, which would normally be packed with crowds of people, in Vienna, Austria. The country is under a nationwide lockdown. AFP

An unusually quiet street decorated with Christmas lights in Vienna, Austria. AFP

People queue to receive a vaccine in Vienna, Austria. AP

Police patrol the centre of the northern city of Zwolle, where an emergency order is in force after three nights of unrest in the Netherlands over new Covid-19 measures. AFP