Abu Dhabi thanks 'hero' children for Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine trial

900 people aged 3 to 17 took part in the immunity bridge study

Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court, speaks to a girl as she waits to receive a vaccine dose in a new Sinopharm trial for children.

Nine hundred children aged between 3 and 17 will receive the doses in the trial.

Volunteers are checked for side effects and monitored.

A girl gives a thumbs-up as she undergoes a basic medical check.

Although most adults have now received at least one vaccine shot, most children are not inoculated against the virus.

In Dubai, vaccines have already been given to some children aged 12 to 15, and to many aged between 16 and 18.

Nine hundred children have now taken part in a trial to study the effectiveness of the Sinopharm vaccine on young people.

Department of Health Abu Dhabi said the study followed the vaccine’s effectiveness in reducing the infection rate and severity of symptoms among target groups.

The results will be released at a later date.

Among the young people to be put forward were members of Abu Dhabi's ruling family.

Officials thanked the children who volunteered and hailed them as heroes for helping the study fully reach its goal of 900 volunteers.

“We have attracted the desired number of children within a short period of time," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, principal investigator for Phase III Sinopharm trials in the UAE and chief medical officer at the capital's Sheikh Khalifa Medical City.

"I would like to thank everyone who took the initiative to register and participate in this study to support the country’s efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

"This reflects the public’s confidence and trust in the UAE’s long-term recovery plan and in the competence of the healthcare sector of the country."

Sinopharm is the most widely used vaccine in the UAE, with its early availability contributing to the UAE's rapid vaccination of much of the population. As of today about 70 per cent of the total population has been fully vaccinated.

Sinopharm and Pfizer are available for vaccination and booster shots across the country. Last month, Moderna was also approved for use by UAE authorities.

The Ministry of Health and Prevention and Abu Dhabi's public hospital operator, Seha, were thanked for their work on the study.