UAE completes clinical trials for Russian COVID-19 vaccine with 1,000 volunteers
March 11, 2021, 11:56 am

UAE completes clinical trials for Russian COVID-19 vaccine with 1,000 volunteers

People wait for vaccine trials at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre in Abu Dhabi. (File photo: Reuters)

The clinical trials for a Russian human adenovirus-based COVID-19 vaccine in the United Arab Emirates have been completed, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported on Thursday.

A total of 1,000 volunteers in the UAE have received their second dose, according to WAM.

Authorities will now monitor the volunteers’ immune response over 180 days to determine the efficacy of the vaccine.

The data will be combined with findings collected from other global trials.

https://twitter.com/WAMNEWS_ENG/status/1369917450347745280

“Recent interim results from Phase III of clinical trials of the Russian human adenovirus-based vaccine, as reported in leading international medical journal The Lancet, showed high efficacy of 91.6 per cent, as well as strong immunogenicity and safety results,” WAM reported.

“UAE findings are to be released by April 2021 and amalgamated with promising research findings from other global trials,” WAM added.

People sit as they wait their turn for vaccine trials in Abu Dhabi, UAE, October 6, 2020. (Reuters)

The Russian vaccine was tested on healthy adults, who are aged from 18 years and above. All the volunteers live in the UAE and do not have a history of COVID-19 vaccinations or infection.

To take part in the trials, the volunteers must also not have suffered any communicable or severe respiratory diseases.

The vaccine was registered for use in Russia in August 2020, the first registered COVID-19 vaccine out of 165 being developed across the world.

“Moving onto this next monitoring phase should be celebrated as an achievement for the UAE’s medical community. It’s an important precursor to studying the immune response in a diverse range of volunteers, paving the way for further securing the safety of our citizens and residents against COVID-19,” said Dr. Ahmed al-Hammadi, the trial’s principal investigator and Consultant Physician in the UAE.

source: Tamara Abueish

Image source: Reuters

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”