Coronavirus: more than 800,000 vaccine jabs given in UAE

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  Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid receives the Sinopharm vaccine to protect against Covid-19 on November 3, 2020. Courtesy: Dubai Media Office

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  Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak receives the first of two shots of a vaccine that was trialled in the UAE. Wam

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  Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed, chairman of Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management, receives the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Courtesy: Sheikh Mansoor

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  Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, gets the Sinopharm jab.

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  Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, receives the Covid-19 Sinopharm vaccine on Saturday, October 31. Courtesy: UAE Government Twitter

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  Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, receives his first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine on Wednesday. Wam

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  Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, takes the Sinopharm vaccine. Courtesy: Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Twitter

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  Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah, UAE Fatwa Council, is vaccinated with the Sinopharm innoculation on January 4, 2021. Wam

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  Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed, chair of Abu Dhabi's Executive Office, takes the first dose of the Sinopharm vaccine. Courtesy: Abu Dhabi Media Office

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  The UAE's health minister, Abdulrahman Al Owais, receives the Sinopharm vaccine.

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  Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, gives a thumbs up as he is vaccinated against Covid-19.

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  Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, president of the UAE Football Association, receives the Covid-19 vaccine.

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  Khalifa bin Dary, executive director of Dubai Ambulance Services Corporation, receives his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Courtesy: Dubai Media Office

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  Lt Col Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad Al Nahyan, director of special patrols at Abu Dhabi Police, receives the Covid-19 vaccine. Courtesy: Abu Dhabi Police

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  Maj Gen Mohammed Al Marri, director general of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai, receives his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Courtesy: Dubai Media Office

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  Maj Gen Talal Al Falasi, director general of Dubai's State Security Department, receives his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Courtesy: Dubai Media Office

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  Abdullah Al Falasi, director general of Dubai Government Human Resources Department, receives his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Courtesy: Dubai Media Office

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  Amer Sharif, head of Dubai's Covid-10 Command and Control Centre, receives his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Courtesy: Dubai Media Office

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  Obaid Al Shamsi, director general of the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority, takes the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine

Latest: UAE secures deal to manufacture Sinopharm vaccine ahead of major inoculation push

*This story has been updated to reflect a clarification in the data

More than 800,000 Covid-19 vaccine jabs have been administered in the UAE so far.

In the weekly briefing on Tuesday, Dr Farida Al Hosani, spokeswoman for the UAE health sector, said since October 1 at least 826,301 vaccine doses have been administered. That is on average 47,000 doses administered each day.

That is the equivalent of 8.35 doses administered per 100 people in the total population. That compares to 15.83 in Israel, 3.62 in Bahrain and 1.38 in the US, according to data compiled by the Our World in Data website.

She also said the UAE was aiming to reach 50 per cent of the country's population by the end of March.

This came as the UAE reported a new high of Covid-19 cases with 1,967 infections recorded on Tuesday, after another 153,645 tests were carried out.

It raised the country's total infections since the start of the pandemic to 216,699. Of these, 193,321 patients have recovered after 1,866 more were cleared of the virus.

Three people died of complications over the past 24 hours, increasing the toll to 685.

Authorities said case numbers were rising around the world as well as within the UAE.

Dr Al Hosani said this was due to internal infections as well as travellers into the Emirates carrying Covid-19.

The UAE on Tuesday also announced a deal to manufacture the Sinopharm vaccine locally, in addition to securing millions of readily available shots for the population.

Health authorities launched a vaccine awareness campaign to encourage people to take the shot. Vaccinations are also being counted as part of the daily Covid-19 update.

The vaccine is optional and taken in two doses, three to four weeks apart.

The most vulnerable groups have priority but the briefing also heard the UAE wants to vaccinate young adults as they are contributing the most to the spread of the disease due to the nature of their lifestyle and activities.