UAE

Abu Dhabi begins trial of Sinopharm vaccine on children aged 3-17

cde.news desk 17 June 2021, 13:40 · 1 min read

epa08963976 A medical worker in protective prepares a dose of Sinopharm's China National Biotec Group COVID-19 vaccine during the vaccination at Belgrade Fair makeshift vaccination center in Belgrade, Serbia, 25 January 2021. Serbia began its COVID-19 vaccination campaign with elderly people and medical workers on 24 December 2020, proceeding to members of the general public. EPA-EFE/ANDREJ CUKIC

Abu Dhabi is beginning a trial administering China’s Sinopharm vaccine to children aged 3-17. The trial will monitor the immune response of 900 children “in preparation to vaccinate children in the near future”, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said.

Some members of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family are participating in the trial, the emirate’s media office added.

The UAE in May approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use in children aged 12-15. Dubai, the second-largest member of the UAE federation, started inoculating that age group this month.

Ghaida Ghantous reports for Reuters that the Gulf state led Phase III clinical trials of the vaccine produced by China’s state-owned drugmaker Sinopharm and has started manufacturing it under a joint venture between Sinopharm and Abu Dhabi-based technology company Group 42.

Photo: EPA-EFE/ANDREJ CUKIC