UAE officially registers Chinese COVID-19 vaccine

ABU DHABI – The United Arab Emirates has announced the official registration of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by the China National Pharmaceutical Group, or Sinopharm, the official WAM news agency reported on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Health and Prevention said in a statement that the announcement is a significant vote of confidence by the UAE's health authorities in the safety and efficacy of this vaccine.

The interim analysis of the phase III trials shows the Chinese vaccine provides 86 percent efficacy against COVID-19 infection, according to the statement.

The analysis also shows the vaccine to have 99 percent seroconversion rate of neutralizing antibody and 100 percent effectiveness in preventing moderate and severe cases of the disease. Furthermore, the analysis shows no serious safety concerns.

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The phase III trials in the UAE have included 31,000 volunteers from 125 countries and regions.

The vaccine was granted Emergency Use Authorization in September by the health ministry to protect frontline workers most at risk of COVID-19.