The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) announced that it had expanded its Covid-19 vaccination campaign to children aged five to 11 for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, state news agency WAM reported.
Parents will now be able to book a Covid-19 vaccination appointment for their children through the DHA app. The announcement is an expansion of the DHA’s vaccination campaign, with authority previously making the vaccine available to 12 to 15-year olds in May 2021.
According to a statement carried by WAM, the decision to administer the vaccine to children aged five and above was taken “in line with the National COVID-19 Vaccination Plan and guidelines issued by the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP). The move is also based on global scientific evidence and is aligned with international protocols.”
DHA facilities that will be providing the vaccine to children in the five to 11 age bracket include Oud Metha Vaccination Centre; Al Twar Health Centre; Al Mizhar Health Centre; Nad Al Hammar Health Centre; Al Mankhool Health Centre; Al Lussaily Health Centre; Nad Al Sheba Health Centre; Zabeel Health Centre; and Al Barsha Health Centre.
In January, the UAE was found to rank first globally for its Covid-19 response and resilience, according to the Pandemic Resilience Index 2022 by US-based advocacy group Consumer Choice Centre.
The country’s mass testing initiative, vaccination drive, booster shot distribution programme, and critical care bed capacity were among the key factors considered.
“The UAE was the pioneer of the booster rollout. Countries such as New Zealand, Ukraine, Australia, Spain and Canada took 5 months longer to get it up and running,” said Maria Chaplia, research manager at the Consumer Choice Centre.
The UAE has one of the world’s highest rates of vaccination, and has administered booster doses to about 42 percent of its population of 10 million.
The country also has one of the highest per capita testing rates in the world, with just under half a million tests administered over the past day.
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