Coronavirus: UAE authorities urge young people to have vaccine

Those aged 16 years and above are eligible to receive a Covid-19 vaccine in the Emirates

UAE residents of all ages are eligible for the Sinopharm shot, which is available across the seven emirates. All photos by Victor Besa / The National

People register for the vaccine at Seha's cruise ship terminal vaccine centre

Both the government and employers have urged the public to get vaccinated, as the country faces record daily numbers of new cases

An Abu Dhabi resident waits to receive her first shot at the Seha vaccination centre at Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal.

Sisters Aya and Jana register for the vaccine shot

Suzana and husband Novica Ristovic get vaccinated pictured with the advice brochures given to all volunteers

Shaikha Al Dheiri waits to be called in for the first of two shots that are necessary to provide protection against the virus

The Seha Vaccination Centre at Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal can serve up to 3,000 people per day. Victor Besa / The National

The vaccination Centre at Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal

A medic holds up a package containing the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine

Emirati Abdulaziz Karmastaji gets a basic blood oxygen check before his vaccination

Two shots are required 21 days apart to ensure people have sufficient antibodies to protect them

A man is inoculated at Seha Vaccination Centre in the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal

Mohamed Hawas Al Sadid, chief executive of Abu Dhabi's public hospital operator Seha, oversees the vaccination drive

The Seha Vaccination Centre at Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal can serve up to 3,000 people per day

UAE authorities urged youths to have the vaccine against Covid-19 to help break the chain of infection.

The National Youth Strategy defines this group as being between 15 and 35 years of age.

People aged 16 years and above are eligible to receive a Covid-19 vaccine in the Emirates.

“We call on our youth to get vaccinated, which will have a positive effect on society by breaking the chain of infection, and maintaining UAE’s achievements in combating Covid-19,” Saeed Al Nazari, director general of the Federal Youth Authority, said on Tuesday at the weekly Covid-19 media briefing.

“Abiding by the rules is an individual responsibility and a national obligation to keep communities safe.”

More than 50,000 young people volunteered at hospitals, test centres, quarantine facilities and ports last year, Mr Al Nazari said.

He urged young people to adopt habits that promote mental health.

“Allocate some time daily to communicate with family, organise tasks and priorities and communicate with psychologists,” he said.

During the pandemic, the Federal Youth Authority worked with 190 government and private organisations to launch more than 500 online activities and events for younger people. More than 30,000 teenagers and adults benefited from these programmes and many acquired new skills.

After more than a year since the coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic, the UAE is cautiously returning to normality.

On Tuesday, authorities said 118,805 vaccine doses were given in the Emirates within the most recent 24-hour reporting period, taking the total to 9.15 million. This represents a rate of 92.58 doses per 100 people.

The UAE recorded 2,022 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, taking the overall tally to 487,697.

Another 1,731 people beat the virus and the total recoveries reached 471,906.

Four more died, bringing the death toll to 1,537. Active cases stood at 14,254.