Manama: The UAE health ministry approved Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use on Thursday, amid a surge in virus infection in the country.
Sputnik is the third COVID-19 vaccine to be approved in the UAE after Sinophrm and Pfizer.
“Study results have demonstrated the effectiveness of the vaccine in triggering a strong antibody response against the virus, its safety for use, and its compliance with international safety and effectiveness standards,” official news agency WAM reported.
In a tweet, the National Emergencies, Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA), said the approval was granted as part of the UAE’s comprehensive efforts to ensure the safety of residents.
“UAE approves Russia’s Sputnik vaccine for emergency use as part of its comprehensive and integrated efforts to ensure increased prevention levels against the virus, and to safeguard the health of the country’s citizens and residents,” the NCEMA said.
The Sputnik V is a human adenovirus-based vaccine developed by the Russian Ministry of Health’s Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, which underwent Phase III trials in nation’s capital Abu Dhabi last month.
The UAE did not release data on the findings of its Phase III trials. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which is marketing the shot abroad, said trials began in December.
“The decision comes as part of the UAE’s comprehensive and integrated efforts to ensure increased prevention levels against the virus and to safeguard the health of the country’s citizens and residents,” WAM said.
The approval comes as the country reported a record 3,529 cases on Thursday, pushing the total cases to 2,67,258. Daily infections have tripled since November, compelling government to introduce curbs on hotels and hospitals in Dubai.
The UAE has already approved vaccines developed by China’s Sinopharm as well as to the Pfizer-BioNTech, and has since rolled out an aggressive vaccination campaign against coronavirus.
The registration of the Sputnik vaccine takes the total number of COVID-19 vaccines given emergency use approval in the UAE to three. Sinopharm is available to the general public in the UAE, while Pfizer also used for inoculation in Dubai.
Sputnik V vaccine had received regulatory approval for foreign markets on Aug. 11, 2020.
Russia named the vaccine Sputnik V after the world's first satellite, called Sputnik, launched by the Soviet Union on Oct. 4, 1957. The name signifies the country's success in being the first to have a vaccine approved.
