Local Press: On COVID-19 Vaccination, UAE Shows The Way Forward

Jerusalem, 6 July, 2021 (TPS) -- ABU DHABI, 6th July, 2021 (WAM)/TPS — The UAE has done a stellar job in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. In terms of public health measures and treatment, the country has set new global benchmarks, said a UAE English-language daily.

In an editorial on Tuesday, Gulf News said that when the full extent of the effects of the pandemic became apparent in early 2020, it became clear that the only way forward in beating coronavirus would be ensuring full vaccination.

The paper said, “A year and a half later on almost two-thirds of the UAE population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19. There are several reasons to be confident that this winning strategy is overcoming the coronavirus and its ability to mutate and spread new variants.

“According to global comparisons of vaccination programmes and counting the number of doses of vaccine delivered per capita, we can take pride in knowing that the UAE now leads the world in vaccination rates. Simply put, the UAE has delivered the most jabs to most people better than anywhere else in the world.”

So far, the UAE government, health services, medical staff and an army of officials and volunteers who have worked tirelessly this past year and a half are now world-beaters. They have delivered 15.5 million doses of vaccines, enough to cover 72.1 per cent of the population, the daily explained.

That’s a staggering achievement in a population of 10 million and speaks of the organisational and logistical efforts of so many. Putting this vaccination rate into perspective, only Seychelles comes close, delivering 71.7 percent to its small population of just under 100,000 people.

The editorial stated that the UAE’s high vaccination rate is one strategy for success and “full credit goes to those who worked so tirelessly to maintain our vigilance against this pandemic”.

It continued, “The UAE has taken a range of measures to contain the ongoing crisis, and the government has also stipulated the practices and actions that violate the national health and safety procedures with stiff penalties.

“All of this would not have been possible without active public support. The community’s commitment to the procedures and guidelines was one of the main reasons why the UAE succeeded in containing the infection.

“The reality moving forward is that blanket vaccination coverage is essential in returning things back to normality.”

The Dubai-based daily concluded by saying, “The sooner other nations catch up, the faster can international travel be restored. A global collaborative effort is therefore important to ensure that businesses and industries return to pre-pandemic levels.

“The lesson now is that there is indeed light at the end of this dark tunnel.”