Coronavirus: Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed receives Covid-19 vaccine

Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office visits hospital as staff are vaccinated against the virus

Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed, member of the Executive Council and chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office, receives the Covid-19 vaccination while visiting Sheikh Khalifa Medical City on Thursday. Courtesy: Abu Dhabi Government Media Office

Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed, member of the Executive Council and chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office, visits Sheikh Khalifa Medical City on the first day of a Covid-19 vaccination programme for medical staff. Courtesy: Abu Dhabi Government Media Office

Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed, member of the Executive Council and chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office, visits Sheikh Khalifa Medical City on the first day of a Covid-19 vaccination programme for medical staff. Courtesy: Abu Dhabi Government Media Office

Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed, member of the Executive Council and chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office, visits Sheikh Khalifa Medical City on the first day of a Covid-19 vaccination programme for medical staff. Courtesy: Abu Dhabi Government Media Office

Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed was inoculated with the Covid-19 vaccine on Thursday, during a visit to Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi.
The member of the Executive Council and chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office visited the hospital on the first day the vaccine was being administered to frontline workers.
He received the vaccination in support of the inoculation programme and to encourage workers to follow suit, Abu Dhabi Government Media Office said.

Last week, the Ministry of Health and Prevention approved the use of the Covid-19 vaccine for frontline workers following successful clinical trials.
The health minister, Abdulrahman Al Owais, said the inactive vaccine could be used in "cases of emergency" involving healthcare staff. He said extensive tests involving tens of thousands of volunteers had shown the vaccine to be safe.

The minister became the first person to take the vaccine outside of the trial this week.
The vaccine, which contains a killed version of the pathogen that causes Covid-19, was developed by Wuhan Institute of Biological Products and Sinopharm.
It passed Phases 1 and 2 of clinical trials in China without showing any serious adverse reactions to volunteers, who generated antibodies after two doses in 28 days.
The UAE was chosen as the location for Phase 3 of the trial because of its varied demographics.

To date, more than 31,000 volunteers have taken part in the trial. 
Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chairwoman of the National Clinical Committee for Covid-19, said volunteers felt only minor symptoms, such as a sore throat, during the trial.