Abu Dhabi health officials told of the success of Covid-19 vaccination trials hosted in the UAE during a meeting with a senior envoy.
Patrick Moody, UK ambassador to the UAE, was briefed on the Phase 3 clinical trials led by Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm during a tour of Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha).
The UAE approved limited use of the vaccination in September.
It has since been administered to thousands of military personnel and civilian officers from the UAE Armed Forces, frontline medical workers, police, senior officials and members of the UAE Cabinet, including Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.
As part of the briefing, Mr Moody and his delegation were given an inside look at Seha's specialised centre for conducting the trials at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
Developed by Sinopharm and G42 Healthcare, a subsidiary of G42 Group, the inactive vaccine’s clinical trials have been held in the capital as part of a collaborative effort between Abu Dhabi's Department of Health Abu Dhabi and Seha.
"As we continue delivering the Covid-19 vaccine to frontline healthcare professionals and ensure the protection of our community, we are pleased to share our progress with Mr Moody," said Dr Marwan Al Kaabi, acting group chief operations officer at Seha.
"The key to the success of the third phase of the clinical trials has been collaboration and support from Abu Dhabi’s ecosystem of partners, enabling the nation to play an integral in providing a vaccine to combat the novel coronavirus.
"We are honoured to share the latest developments with Ambassador Moody, and extend our deepest gratitude to him, his delegation, and the wider community for their support during the clinical trials."
The ambassador was joined on the visit by Pippa Russo, life sciences adviser and Finola Hegarty, healthcare Adviser.
The group were welcomed by Dr Marwan Al Kaabi and Dr Nawal Ahmed Mohamed Al Kaabi, chief medical officer at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City and principal investigator for the vaccine trials.
The Phase 3 trials form part of a global effort to combat Covid-19 and were overseen by the World Health Organisation and the Ministry of Health and Prevention.
