Covid-19: UAE announces '100 per cent of target groups in the country' now vaccinated

A total of 24,922,054 doses have been administered

People get tested for coronavirus at the Mina Rashid screening centre in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, health authorities have called upon citizens and residents to join with the efforts of health care professionals. Health workers, such as these Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, have led the way. Reem Mohammed / The National

Healthcare workers at the emergency ward in Sheikh Khalifa Medical City. The President, Sheikh Khalifa, has paid tribute to the frontline workers who helped to curb Covid-19. Reem Mohammed / The National

Healthcare workers at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City receive a patient outside the emergency department. Reem Mohammed / The National

A consultant physician at the emergency department in Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, receives a Covid-19 patient. Reem Mohammed / The National

People get the laser blood test tests at the Mina Rashid screening centre in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

A nurse sanitises her hands after conducting a swab test at one of the UAE's screening drive-through centres in Mina Rashid, Dubai. Victor Besa / The National

A health worker taking the Covid-19 nasal swab test at a testing station in thet Mall of the Emirates in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Nurse Renu Venugopal, who contracted Covid-19, recovered and continued to treat patients at Al Zahra Hospital, Sharjah. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Ruth Deva Kiruba says being pregnant during a pandemic was surreal and sometimes lonely. Chris Whiteoak / The National

EMT nurse Jephy Antony, who contracted Covid-19, recovered and continued to treat patients at the NMC Royal Hospital, DIP, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

A visitor gets tested at the Ras Al Khaimah Covid-19 drive-through testing centre. Reem Mohammed / The National

Nurse Nikhil Rajendran inside the fever clinic at the Bareen International Hospital in Mohamed Bin Zayed City in Abu Dhabi. Pawan Singh / The National

Shane Simeon Galang from Philippines, Mervat Aslan Mhgoub Mohamed from Egypt and Sowmya Kotian from India, who are nurses at the Bareen International Hospital in Mohamed bin Zayed City in Abu Dhabi. Pawan Singh / The National

The UAE has reached a significant milestone in its Covid-19 vaccine rollout, with "100 per cent of the target groups in the country" now vaccinated.

The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority said its national campaign had reached its goal.

To date, 24,922,054 Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered.

In November, health authorities announced that 100 per cent of eligible people had received their first dose.

Daily case numbers have declined significantly during the year, having topped 3,000 on several occasions in January.

Despite the drop in case numbers, the public is asked to remain responsible and support the country's recovery.

Speaking at the last media briefing, Dr Taher Al-Buraik Al-Amiri, spokesman for the NCEMA, said the UAE remained on "the right track" in its efforts to overcome the coronavirus.

However, he stressed the need to abide by safety measures.

People were reminded to continue to wear face masks when mandated and to isolate in case of infection.

Successful campaign

The first Covid-19 case in the UAE was announced on January 20, 2020.

Since then, the Emirates has recorded 908,647 cases and 2,305 deaths.

During the early weeks and months of the pandemic, stay-home measures and deep-cleaning operations were introduced.

Offices and schools closed as a precautionary measure and flights were grounded.

Authorities also introduced physical distance rules and made the wearing of face masks in public mandatory.

On December 9, 2020, the UAE approved Sinopharm’s vaccine.

Less than two weeks later, Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine was approved for people over the age of 18. Authorities later gave the green light to other vaccines, including Oxford-AstraZeneca, Sputnik V and Moderna. In March 2021, the UAE started rolling out booster shots, initially to a small number of people and later to all, urging everyone to receive a third dose six months after their second.

The UAE was regularly featured at the top of world rankings on how well countries were managing Covid-19, while at the same time reopening their economies.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, in October declared the UAE had “overcome the Covid-19 crisis” and called on people to return to normality.