A health worker administers a dose of vaccine to Shaikh Abdullah Bin Bayyah on Monday. WAM

Shaikh Abdullah Bin Bayyah, Chairman of the UAE Fatwa Council, has received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, in support of the country's efforts to contain the spread of the virus.

Shaikh Abdullah Bin Bayyah lauded the UAE's exceptional efforts in its handling of the coronavirus crisis, and for being one of the first countries to provide the vaccine to both citizens and residents to safeguard the health of the community.

He also praised UAE efforts to help other countries fight the pandemic by providing them with medical aid and vaccines.

Earlier this week, China's health authorities had announced approval of the Sinopharm vaccine for general use on the population.

In a statement following the announcement of Chinese health authorities, Abdul Rahman Bin Mohammad Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention said:

Medical workers check the health of Bin Bayyah. WAM

"Today, the Chinese health authorities have approved Sinopharm’s vaccine for general use on the population."

Al Owais noted that the approved Sinopharm vaccine is the same vaccine that was used in the groundbreaking ‘4Humanity’ trials, the first global clinical Phase III trial of an inactivated vaccine to combat COVID-19 which was launched in UAE in July this year, and later was officially registered by the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) on  Dec.9.

He congratulated Sinopharm on the successful registration of the vaccine in China and expressed pleasure that it will be accessible to the UAE for vaccination of citizens and residents.

WAM