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UAE Covid-19 vaccine: Active coronavirus cases down

Dubai - Healthcare professionals note that the country’s robust vaccination drive has been instrumental in keeping the numbers in check.

With the number of active Covid-19 cases shrinking by more than 8,000 in the last 10 days, doctors are thanking the UAE Government for its strategic planning to vaccinate the population. The cases recorded on February 10 were 19,133 as opposed to active registered cases this Saturday, at 11,054.

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Healthcare professionals note that the country’s robust vaccination drive has been instrumental in keeping the numbers in check. Medics are also hopeful that the country will witness a slump in Covid-19 cases soon.

The vaccination strategy of the UAE Government is definitely working, says Dr Wasim Rauf Kadri, internal medicine specialist at Prime Medical Centre – King Faisal Street Branch, Sharjah. "As the number of vaccinated people increases, the total number of Covid-19 cases will go down. When more people in the community get vaccinated, the possibility of getting the infection and spreading the virus will definitely reduce," he said.

"People with co-morbidities are more prone to getting a complicated Covid-19 infection. This is the reason the health authorities are prioritising vaccination for 50+ population and those with co-morbidities. In the current situation, whoever is eligible for vaccination should get the vaccine at the earliest. Also, we should follow social distancing guidelines to break the chain of infection which will lead to a curb in the total number of cases," he added.

Most countries have rolled out inoculation programmes in a bid to achieve herd immunity. More than 5.5 million vaccine doses have been administered in the UAE, according to the Ministry of Health and Prevention (Mohap) and the move has certainly picked up the pace.

“Most patients who received the vaccine — whether one or two doses of any of the available vaccines — if infected, have mild symptoms and the recovery has been fast. They were discharged quickly from the hospital," said Dr Dirar Abdallah, internal medicine consultant at Prime Hospital.

"On the contrary, we see a lot of cases with severe Covid-19 in those who did not receive the vaccine, especially among young people who do not suffer from any chronic diseases. Many of them also regret that they did not take the vaccine earlier," he added.

Jab drive, restrictions help reduce Covid cases

The national vaccination campaign, along with government restrictions — pertaining to social gatherings and strict adherence to hygiene protocols — have contributed to the decreasing number of total active cases.

The nation has so far vaccinated over 40 per cent of the population in such a short span of time and this is an incredible achievement, according to Dr Osama Ahmed El Gharib, medical director at Burjeel Specialty Hospital – Sharjah. “The massive vaccination drive held across the emirates in the UAE has helped in building immunity against the disease. The leadership is determined to vaccinate all eligible people by the end of the year. If things continue at the same pace, we are likely to achieve the target much before that," he said

“People who have taken two doses of the vaccine are largely protected, except for a very few who might get infected. Even in this case, vaccinated people are likely to recover faster — with asymptomatic or mild symptoms. This not only avoids the risk of losing life to the deadly virus but also reduces the burden on the healthcare ecosystem.

"The country has been particular in vaccinating the population, especially those belonging to the high-risk category, those above 50 and those with chronic illnesses. These strategies will definitely have positive outcomes and will show its results in the near future as the number of cases comes down along with the mortality rate," added El Gharib.

nandini@khaleejtimes.com