The UAE authorized the emergency use of a Chinese-developed COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, a decision highly welcomed by health experts and medical workers fighting on the front line, local media Gulf News reported Tuesday.  

The inactivated vaccine, developed by Sinopharm's China National Biotec Group (CNBG), is currently in Phase III trials in more than 10 countries, including the UAE. It has been approved for emergency use in China within high-risk groups since late July after reliable results in Phase I and Phase II trials.

Read more: Hundreds of thousands have been given Chinese COVID-19 vaccines without a single infection

UAE people enthusiastic about Phase III trials 

In the UAE, the Phase III trials are led by G42 Healthcare and overseen by the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention and the Abu Dhabi Department of Health, according to the report.

The original target number of volunteers for the trials had been 15,000 people, but 31,000 volunteers from 125 nationalities in the country registered within six weeks.  

Health workers, including senior doctors and nurses, volunteered to participate in the clinical trials as soon as they were launched. VPS Healthcare, one of the largest operators of hospitals and medical centers in the Middle East, saw nearly 1,000 doctors and more than 2,500 nurses in the UAE alone volunteer to participate in the much-awaited vaccine trials for COVID-19, the report said.

Phase III trials in the UAE show positive results 

Following the overwhelming response in the UAE, registrations were closed at the end of August, and the results are currently being analyzed.  

The vaccine had continued to show positive results during its Phase III trials in the UAE, according to Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chairperson of the national COVID-19 clinical management committee. 

"The results of the clinical trials are moving on the right path, with all tests being successful so far. The side effects that have been reported [to date] are simple and expected, nothing serious," she said on Monday. 

Even before the start of the Phase III trials in the UAE in July, Sinopharm had reported that the vaccine had successfully generated antibodies against COVID-19 in everyone who had been given two doses about three weeks apart in previous clinical trials.

Read more: China Sinopharm's potential COVID-19 vaccine triggers antibodies in clinical trials 

Reassuring frontline medical workers 

Following the approval of the emergency use of the vaccine in the UAE, health workers are expected to be the first group to receive the vaccine, according to Gulf News.  

Speaking to Gulf News, the heads of top medical service providers in the UAE said the access of the vaccine will reassure medical professionals fighting COVID-19 on the front line. 

"Access to the vaccine will provide peace of mind to thousands of frontline workers who have, and who continue to, risk their own health in an effort to protect the lives of their patients and our UAE community," said Michael B. Davis, chief executive officer at NMC Healthcare. 

"Even with the vaccine, all healthcare workers must remain diligent in their use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and hand hygiene. [But] the vaccine will provide an added layer of comfort and safety, and if used as a tool in conjunction with PPE, should allow for strong protection from the virus and subsequently UAE's fight against the pandemic," he added. 

Dr Lalu Chacko, medical director at Burjeel Hospital Abu Dhabi, also said the vaccine would boost the confidence of frontline medical workers. 

"Frontline workers are likely to get an infection even though they are adopting all protective measures. We have seen this across the world. One of the reasons is their proximity to the patients. As this is a very promising vaccine according to the extensive analysis [thus far], it is expected to protect healthcare workers from infection so that they can continue their work actively," he said. 

Another milestone for UAE

"The approval of the UAE government to use the COVID-19 vaccine for frontline workers is yet another successful milestone that the UAE has achieved in its battle against the pandemic," said Dr Tarek Dufan, medical director at American Hospital in Dubai.

"This approval to use the vaccine for frontline workers will go a long way in supporting the fight against COVID 19. It will help stop the contagion and restore normality to the life of the people. Once UAE leads the way and demonstrates the impact of the vaccine, the world will follow in its steps," he added.

Hope for herd immunity

"With this vaccine, our [UAE] society will eventually be able to develop herd immunity, which is the ultimate win in this battle against COVID-19," said Dr Atul Aundhekar, chief executive officer at Avivo Health Care Group.

He explains that herd immunity occurs when a large portion of the community becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of diseases from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected. "I welcome this move from the government," he said.

(Cover: COVID-19 vaccine by China National Biotech Group showcased at the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services, Beijing, September 6, 2020. /VCG)