UAE health minister takes country's first dose of COVID-19 vaccine: report

United Arab Emirates (UAE) Health Minister Abdulrahman Al Owais has been given the country's first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, local media The National reported on Saturday.

The vaccine Owais received was developed by China's Sinopharm in a testing operation between China and the UAE.

On Tuesday, the UAE approved the Chinese COVID-19 vaccine for frontline workers after successful clinical trials in Abu Dhabi, The National reported.

Owais said the inactive vaccine could be used in emergency cases involving healthcare staff. He said the vaccine had proven to be safe through extensive tests involving 31,000 volunteers, according to the report.