Israel and UAE lead global vaccination drive with huge herd immunity push

Nations have pushed ahead with a plan to immunise at least 70 per cent of their adult populations in the coming months

A Dubai ambulance worker is vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine in Dubai.

An older resident receives her first shot at Zabeel Health Centre on December 27, 2020.

The vaccine is expected to be rolled out to all age groups once people in the essential categories have been vaccinated.

A nurse holds a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which was approved for use by Dubai's emergency and crisis authority and the federal Ministry of Health.

An employee from Roads and Transport Authority receives a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in Dubai.

A woman receives a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at Zabeel Health Centre in Dubai on 27 December, 2020.

The city has six vaccine centres where the Pfizer-BioNTech shot is available.

A man waits to receive the first of two doses at Zabeel Health Centre in Dubai on 27 December, 2020.

A nurse opens a freezer at Barsha Health Centre. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine must be kept at minus 70C when transported.

A nurse opens a freezer at Barsha Health Centre. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine must be kept at minus 70C when transported.

A vial of the vaccine is seen at Barsha Health Centre. AFP

A nurse prepares a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at al-Barsha Health Centre in Dubai. AFP

Israel and the UAE are leading the global pack in the race to vaccinate their adult populations – as the number of cases of highly virulent strains threatens to soar out of control in many countries.

The nations on Tuesday night led a worldwide chart only weeks after launching public vaccination campaigns. Bahrain was third and the UK was fourth.

The figures were compiled by Our World in Data, which is run by a team of researchers at Oxford University.

In Israel, an around-the-clock inoculation campaign was under way this week, with the military drafted in to help deliver the Pfizer-BioNTech jab.

Officials took the decision to squeeze six shots out of each vial, instead of five, determining the dose was enough to provide the necessary immunity.

The country has prioritised people aged over 60 but allowed younger people to get the vaccine if they wait outside medical centres until the end of the day.

The decision meant already open vials, which must be kept at minus 70°C, are not thrown away when they still contain some vaccine.

Early on, Israel made orders for all three vaccines that are made in the West. They comprise:

– Eight million doses from Pfizer-BioNTech (enough for four million people)

– Ten million doses from Oxford-AstraZeneca (enough for five million)

– Six million doses from Moderna (enough for three million)

In the UAE, officials on Tuesday night said eight doses for every 100 people in the population have been released so far.

As with most countries, the government wants to ensure at least 70 per cent of the population is protected, which would lead to “herd immunity”.

The UAE has introduced the Sinopharm vaccine for people of all ages in all emirates. In addition, Dubai secured the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which is being offered to frontline workers and people with health conditions. A broader inoculation programme for all residents is planned for April.

As The National exclusively reported on Wednesday, the UAE has struck a deal to manufacture the Sinopharm jab locally in the coming months, in addition to securing three million ready-to-use doses from the Chinese drugmaker.

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