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The UAE has inoculated 8% of its population with coronavirus vaccines and plans to cover half of its residents in the first quarter.
The Gulf nation, which is offering free vaccines to its residents, has so far administered more than 826,000 doses, said Farida Al Hosani, a spokesman for the UAE Health Sector, according to the government’s official Twitter account.
The country, with an expatriate majority population of around 10 million, seeks to contain the recent increase in cases “by reviewing procedures and focusing on vaccinating as many people as possible,” said Al Hosani. Vaccines are optional and not mandatory, she added.
The Gulf nation approved the Pfizer Inc.-Vaccine BioNTech SE Covid-19, as well as that of Sinopharm Unit National Biotech Group of China.
Israel took the lead in the high-speed race in the global coronavirus vaccine race, vaccinating about 15% of its population since December 20. The Middle Eastern nation plans to vaccinate 70% to 80% of its population in April or May.
The United Arab Emirates reported 1,967 daily cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, the highest daily number on record. The total number of cases is 216,699.