Sharjah airport frontline staff gets first dose of Covid-19 vaccine

Frontline staff of Sharjah Airport International have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, authorities announced on Tuesday. 
Carried out by the Ministry of Health and Prevention (Mohap) in cooperation with the Sharjah Government, the vaccination campaign is part of the emirate's efforts to protect the frontliners in essential sectors. 
Sharjah International Airport is the first authority in the emirate to get its staff vaccinated, after the UAE approved the Covid-19 jab for emergency use earlier this month. So far, a number of health officials and health workers have received the shot, besides the 31,000 residents who volunteered for the vaccine's phase 3 clinical trials. 
Ali Salim Al Midfa, chairman of the Sharjah International Airport, said: "We are pleased to be the first authority in Sharjah that provides Covid-19 vaccine to frontline staff members who are in direct contact with travellers, especially since Sharjah Airport is the main gateway to the emirate and receives travellers from all over the world. 
"We fully recognise our great responsibility to ensure the health and safety of everyone, and we'll continue to adopt all precautionary measures."
Mohammed Abdullah Al Zarouni, director of Sharjah Medical District, added: "The move comes as part of Mohap's efforts, in cooperation with competent authorities, to safeguard the health and safety of frontline workers. Having identified the target groups, the dose, and the immunisation system, the vaccination is provided in accordance with evidence-based scientific rules, quality control procedures, and the internationally approved protocols which include the constant medical follow-up and the monitoring of any side effects that may occur."
The inactivated Covid-19 vaccine is now in the third and last phase of clinical trials in four Arab countries in the UAE. AbdulRahman bin Mohammed Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, who also took the jab, earlier announced that the vaccine developed by Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm CNBG was safe and effective. 
The side effects reported so far have been "mild and expected, like any other vaccine", another official had said. The phase 3 clinical trial was rolled out in Abu Dhabi on July 16. Since then, it has been expanded to Bahrain, Jordan and Egypt.