The Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine will be tested for in children aged 3 to 17 in a new immune bridge study carried out by the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP), according to a statement from Abu Dhabi media office Thursday.
The study comes as virus mutations globally have led to an increase in the number of positive cases, including among children, and the severity of their symptoms.
Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, Chairwoman of the National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee, who is leading the study, said: “Children are the cornerstone of any society and the future of any nation. As more and more people are vaccinated in the UAE, we want to make sure that our children are able to receive the vaccine safely. This is why when we designed the Sinopharm immune bridge study we focused on ensuring all care is given to our young volunteers throughout the journey. We want both children and parents to understand every step of the process and also to know that we will be with them, supporting them, answering every question they may have, at any time.”
The study aims to monitor the immune response to the vaccine in 900 children of different nationalities in preparation to vaccinate children in the near future. Each child will participate with the consent of their parents and be closely monitored.
The UAE is the first country in the Middle East and North Africa region to conduct a study of the vaccine’s effectiveness for this age group. Other vaccine manufacturing countries, such as China, the United States, United Kingdom and India, have also begun conducting clinical trials for this group over the past few months.
The UAE’s overall efforts in combatting the pandemic has been commended on an international scale and the country ranks among the highest vaccine rates globally.
Sinopharm, a Chinese developed vaccine, has been widely distributed in the UAE after being trialed in the Emirates. In March, the UAE announced they would begin manufacturing Hayat-Vax, the first indigenous Covid-19 vaccine in the region through a partnership with China to make millions of doses of its state-backed Sinopharm vaccine.
A newly-created joint venture between Sinopharm CNBG and Abu Dhabi-based G42 aims to produce up to 200 million doses annually at a new plant that will become operational this year.
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