In line with the ongoing efforts to inoculate the maximum population of the country, UAE authorities have announced that residents can now take the locally-made Hayat-Vax COVID-19 vaccine. People aged 18 and above can book their vaccine appointments through the Ministry of Health and Prevention’s (MoHAP) COVID-19 UAE app.

In May, local authorities announced the administration of the Hayat-Vax vaccine. According to the COVID-19 UAE app, the vaccine is currently available for five sections of society - UAE national, family, GCC nationals, residents, and workers.

Hayat-Vax is the first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine in the region developed by the joint venture of Abu Dhabi-based G42 Healthcare and China's Sinopharm company and produced by the Ras Al Khaimah-based pharma firm Julphar.

It is the same Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine that was approved by the MoHAP in December 2020 for the country's vaccination drive.

Residents aged 12 and above can also book appointments for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on the COVID-19 UAE app. With the help of the app, members of the community can also request vaccine exemptions.

In addition, the health ministry has underlined that residents can only book appointments for the second vaccine dose in the same emirate where they received the first dose.