UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention Announces Official Registration of Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccine Used in #4Humanity Trials

ABU DHABI, 9th December 2020 (WAM) — The UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention, MOHAP, has announced the official registration of Beijing Institute of Biological Product’s inactivated COVID-19 vaccine is a major step towards combating the global pandemic. The registration of this vaccine is a decision in response to the application from Sinopharm CNBG. The announcement is a significant vote of confidence by the UAE’s health authorities in the safety and efficacy of this vaccine.

MOHAP, in collaboration with the Department of Health Abu Dhabi, DOH, has reviewed Sinopharm CNBG’s interim analysis of the phase III trials, which shows the Beijing Institute of Biological Product’s inactivated vaccine to have 86 percent efficacy against COVID-19 infection. The analysis also shows the vaccine to have a 99 percent seroconversion rate of neutralizing antibody and 100 percent effectiveness in preventing moderate and severe cases of the disease. Furthermore, the analysis shows no serious safety concerns.

This vaccine was granted Emergency Use Authorisation, EUA, in September by MOHAP to protect frontline workers most at risk of COVID-19. The UAE is conducting Post Authorisation Safety Study, PASS, and Post Authorisation Efficacy Study, PAES, of its EUA programme. These ongoing studies show similar safety and efficacy profiles as the interim analysis.

The #4Humanity phase III trials have included 31,000 volunteers across 125 nationalities in the UAE alone. The EUA vaccination programme has effectively safeguarded the UAE frontline workers. MOHAP’s official registration of the Beijing Institute of Biological Product’s inactivated COVID-19 vaccine leads the way to comprehensively protecting the population and responsibly opening the economy.