The UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has authorised the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for children in the age group of 5-11 years.

It said that that the decision was based on the results of clinical studies and rigorous assessment followed by emergency use authorisation and local assessment in compliance with approved regulations, and after similar approvals by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to state-run news agency WAM.

The results of clinical studies indicated that the vaccine is safe and has given a strong immune response to children between the ages of 5 and 11 years.

In May this year, MoHAP had approved the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 12 to 15.

In June that, the UAE initiated a Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine immune bridge study for children aged 3 to 17, making it the first country in the Middle East and North Africa region to conduct a study of the vaccine’s effectiveness for this age group. In August, MoHAP said that based on the outcome of those trials it had made available the Sinopharm vaccine for children and adolescents between the ages of 3-17.

Meanwhile, MoHAP also announced on Monday that it will start providing booster dose for those who have received the Pfizer-BioNtech and Sputnik vaccines – for people with chronic diseases who are at risk of complications. It will be provided to all of people in the age group of 18 to 49; as well as those the age group of 18-59 for individuals working in the front line.

As of October 31, health authorities in the country said that 49,584 doses of the vaccine were administered in the last 24 hours. A total of 21,150,096 doses, at a distribution rate of 213.84 doses per 100 people have thus been administered this far.

Around 97.76 per cent have received one dose and 87.69 per cent is fully vaccinated of the population.