(Bloomberg) --
The United Arab Emirates inoculated 8% of its population with the coronavirus vaccines and aims to cover half of its residents in the first quarter.
The Gulf nation, which is offering vaccines free of charge for its residents, administered more than 826,000 doses so far, said Farida Al Hosani, spokesperson for the UAE Health Sector, according to government's official Twitter account.
The country, with an expatriate-majority population of about 10 million, seeks to curb the recent rise in cases by “reviewing procedures and focusing on vaccinating as many people as possible,” Al Hosani said. Vaccines are optional and not compulsory, she added.
The Gulf nation has approved the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE Covid-19 vaccine, as well as the one by Sinopharm unit China National Biotec Group.
Israel has taken the lead in high-velocity sprint in the global coronavirus vaccine race, vaccinating about 15% of its population since Dec. 20. The Middle East nation plans to vaccinate 70% to 80% of its population by April or May.
| more |
|---|
| UAE Reports 1,723 Coronavirus Cases, Most Since Pandemic Began |
| UAE Reports ‘Limited' Cases of New Coronavirus Strain |
| Dubai Rolls Out Free Vaccines as UAE Approves Pfizer Shot |
| Dubai Aims to Vaccinate 70% of Population by End 2021: Reuters |
The UAE reported 1,967 daily coronavirus cases on Tuesday, the highest daily figure on record. The total number of cases are at 216,699.
©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
