As part of the UAE government ongoing efforts to combat the Coronavirus pandemic, more than 30,000 members of the Emirate Armed Forces and national service recruits have been given the vaccine against the COVID-19 virus.

Commenting on the development, Brig Gen Dr Aysha Al Dhaheri, Commander of the Medical Services Corps, noted that the vaccination campaign was initiated to protect military personnel from the impact of the pandemic.

Limited use of the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by leading Chinese drug maker Sinopharm was approved by the UAE government in September after the vaccine entered Phase III trials in the country.

During the emergency use of the vaccine, front-line medical professionals and workers, senior police officials, and UAE Cabinet members including Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai have been vaccinated in the process.

At an online conference organized by the Ministry of Defense, Dr Al Dhaheri asserted that when the trial was going on, a large number of the UAE’s population was encouraged to participate in the process. The authorities also set up dedicated vaccination centers across different Emirates and the goal of the initiative is vaccinated all military personnel in the country, Dr Al Dhaheri added.

During the conference, it was also pointed out that international cooperation is the key to fight the Coronavirus pandemic.

At the same time, Dr Al Dhaheri highlighted that the UAE has been closely working with Israel on a COVID-19 breathalyzer test with the potential to detect suspected cases within 30 seconds.

Currently, a PCR nasal swab test can take up to 24 hours to deliver the result.

“Israel does have a testing methodology. This is something of interest not only to the UAE but to the world,” Dr Al Dhaheri added.

Mohamed Al Bawardi, Minister of State for Defense Affairs, also stressed the need for international agencies to come together, not only to combat COVID-19, but in line with a broader aim to address global crises and agendas of mutual concerns.

He added that the need for cooperation between various states and building international alliances is even more evident, noting that modern threats may not be confined to specific geographical areas, but instead spread across different state borders.

During the online conference, the UAE Ministry of Defense also launches an initiative “We Innovate to Defend” to engage young people in its activities.

The campaign is aimed at encouraging the next generation to share their ideas and thoughts to improve the defense strategies of the country over the next 50 years.

The Ministry of Defense and the Federal Youth Authority will provide all the details of the initiative and how to participate on their website and social media platforms.