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