A vaccination centre in Ajman is witnessing a rise in Emiratis getting the COVID-19 vaccination to support the national efforts against the pandemic. The Ajman Society of Social and Cultural Development vaccination centre in Musheiref has been administering Sinopharm or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccinations to about 80 Emiratis on a daily basis. The number has significantly increased since April 2021 as the UAE has intensified its awareness campaigns along with easing of travel protocols for fully vaccinated visitors.

Since the launch of the vaccination campaign, the UAE has fully-inoculated more than 81 percent of the public with the aim of achieving herd immunity and normalcy in the country. With the boost in vaccination rate, the UAE's daily infection rates have decreased noticeably.

Speaking about the achievement, Muna Saqr Al Matrooshi, general director of Ajman Society of Social and Cultural Development, explained that the institution organized campaigns and online lectures to raise awareness among the public about importance of the vaccine to boost the inoculation rates. These efforts also helped in easing hesitancy among the public about the vaccines.

“Following this, we saw a surge in numbers with nearly 10 or 11 families coming on a daily basis to get vaccinated. On some days the place would be fully packed with more than 1,000 people, to the extent that we had to close the main gate," Al Matrooshi said.

The centre has three halls to accommodate more than more than 130 people at once. These centres are operating between 8am and 9pm from Sunday to Thursday to administer vaccine among all eligible community members.

More than 20 volunteers from the UAE Red Crescent Authority have been helping the medical staff at the centre to manage the influx of visitors. Al Matrooshi explained that volunteers are working on three shifts to help organize and expedite the process to ensure ease and convenience for all members of the community.

UAE authorities have been continuously highlighting the significance of vaccination to achieve immunity against the virus and combat the pandemic. The booster vaccine dose has also emerged as a important initiative in the process.

Abu Dhabi authorities have called on people who received their second dose of the Sinopharm vaccine over six months ago to take a booster shot in order to maintain the green status on their Al Hosn app. It is necessary for entry to number of public places in the emirate.

Earlier this week, Dr Farida Al Hosani, spokeswoman for the UAE health sector, urged eligible people to receive their booster vaccine dose to strengthen the ongoing national efforts against the virus.

"These doses greatly enhanced immunity, thus reducing the number of cases we are witnessing at the present time. We recommend that individuals who are eligible for the booster dose be sure to take it on time," she said during a media briefing.

Armed forces retiree Rashid Al Shamsi, recently received his booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Previously, he was vaccinated with both doses of Sinopharm vaccine. Sharing his experience, he said, "I was hesitant about taking the Covid-19 vaccine at first, but my perception changed once the country announced its approval of them."