Sheikh Mohammed took to Twitter to make the announcement by sharing a photograph of himself getting the coronavirus vaccine shot and informed that the doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Chinese firm will be available to others in the nation too.
The UAE PM then went on to credit the team of researchers who developed the vaccine for achieving this feat and lauded their "relentless effort" to ensure a safe future for the nation. He even shared an image of getting vaccinated with a medical staffer.
Sheikh Mohammed's update came after a series of UAE ministers took the vaccine over the past few weeks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We wish everyone safety and great health, and we are proud of our teams who have worked relentlessly to make the vaccine available in the UAE," he wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.
Al Maktoum also shared a photo with his post, in which he was seen receiving a shot, developed by China's Sinopharm.
While receiving the COVID-19 vaccine today. We wish everyone safety and great health, and we are proud of our teams who have worked relentlessly to make the vaccine available in the UAE. The future will always be better in the UAE. pic.twitter.com/Rky5iqgfdg
— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) November 3, 2020
Notably, UAE has authorised the emergency use of the vaccine to protect medical professionals and health workers engaged in COVID-19 duty. The vaccine is also being given to the country's top officials and ministers including UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
The vaccine is now in the third and final stage of clinical trials and has so far been found safe and effective, local media reported, citing the authorities.
Several pharmaceutical companies and research centres around the world are working on developing COVID-19 vaccines, with large global trials involving tens of thousands of participants under way.
Some companies are close to unveiling their initial findings, with Canadian and European regulators already reviewing early data on some vaccines.
The UAE has so far recorded 135,141 COVID-19 infections and 497 deaths, according to data collected by the Johns Hopkins University.
