UAE's COVID-19 Vaccination Rate at 41.09% of Population, Surpassing Israel

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Eunbyeol] The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has surpassed Israel to become the country with the fastest COVID-19 vaccination rate.

According to data from 'Our World in Data,' a statistics site operated by Oxford University, as of the 7th, the UAE's vaccination rate (based on first-dose recipients) relative to its population is 41.09%, narrowly ahead of Israel's 40.21%.

The population of the UAE is approximately 9.77 million, while Israel's population is about 9.3 million. The UAE began vaccinations in December last year after importing the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine. Anyone aged 16 and older is eligible to receive the vaccine.

While some European countries that adopted vaccines such as Pfizer and Moderna experienced vaccination halts due to supply shortages, vaccinations have continued in the UAE. Dubai, one of the seven emirates of the UAE, also imported Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines and conducted vaccinations targeting high-risk groups such as the elderly, people with underlying conditions, and medical staff.

Israel, which secured a large supply of vaccines on the condition of providing real-time vaccination data to the manufacturer Pfizer, began vaccinations on December 19 last year. The vaccination target groups were gradually expanded, maintaining the top vaccination rate for a while. Since the 4th, anyone aged 16 and older can receive the vaccine. However, as the vaccination rate surpassed 30%, the pace has slowed due to a decrease in voluntary vaccinations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.