Emirates airline begins Covid-19 vaccination drive for UAE staff

Crew are being prioritised by the Dubai company, which is operating 12-hour clinics to vaccinate staff

The Emirates Group has launched a Covid-19 vaccination programme for UAE based staff. All images courtesy The Emirates Group

The immunisation drive starts today, January 18, 2021. 

Operationally-focused staff will be a priority for the vaccination appointments. 

The Emirates Group is making both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Sinopharm vaccines available to staff.

Emirates airline, along with dnata, are among the first transport and air services organisations in the world to offer employees the option to get vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus.

Vaccination remains optional for Emirates staff. 

Emirates' frontline aviation workforce, including cabin crew, flight deck and other operationally focused roles, will be first in line for the vaccines.

An Emirates staff member assists a passenger at Dubai International Airport. 

The vaccination programme is designed to help safeguard the health and wellbeing of aviation employees who serve the travelling public and help move essential goods around the world.

Emirates is vaccinating all pilots, ground staff and cabin crew against the coronavirus.

The Dubai airline has started a Covid-19 vaccination programme for all employees based in the UAE.

Emirates is working with Dubai Health Authority and the Ministry of Health and Prevention to inoculate all Emirates Group employees.

First in line for vaccines are the airline's front-line aviation workforce, including cabin crew, flight deck and those with other operational roles. The vaccine remains optional for all staff, said Emirates.

The group offers the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Sinopharm vaccine to staff, both of which have been approved by UAE health authorities. Emirates staff can book an appointment for the free vaccine at company locations across the country, with clinics operating 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Emirates said this was to ensure as many of the airline's essential aviation staff are vaccinated as soon as possible.

Emirates employees can also opt to be vaccinated at government-designated medical centres and clinics. This is also free of charge and available to all UAE citizens and residents.

The airline is among one of the first transport and air services organisations in the world to offer employees vaccinations against the Covid-19 virus.

According to data from Our World In Data, a research website at University of Oxford, the UAE is ranked second highest in the world in terms of vaccination rates, with about 19.04 doses having been administered for every 100 people.

Close to 1.9 million vaccinations have been distributed to citizens and residents since December 2020, states the website.

The UAE plans to inoculate more than 50 per cent of its population by the end of March.