Dubai: Five Dubai residents became the first batch to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in the city on Wednesday after Dubai Health Authority (DHA) in coordination with Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management and the COVID-19 Command and Control Centre launched the vaccination campaign. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which has a proven efficacy of up to 95 per cent, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and registered by the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention.
“I am so happy to take this vaccine first,” said infectious diseases nurse Asha Susan Philip,speaking exclusively to Gulf News.
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Phillip, 45, a nurse from the Infectious Diseases Department at Rashid Hospital, said she received the first dose of the vaccine at 1.43pm at the Al Barsha Primary Health Centre. “I am very happy to receive the vaccine. When my department asked me if I was willing, I said yes. After vaccination, I have been feeling perfectly fine. My family members supported my decision to take this vaccine and I will take the next dose in 21 days,” said Phillip from Kottayam district, Kerala. She has been working at Rashid Hospital for the last 15 years.
Phillip was busy all through the year working as a frontline COVID warrior during the height of the pandemic as she was attached to the COVID ICU in the hospital.The vaccine, she said, will help fight the COVID-19 battle more effectively.
Collective fight
Also speaking to Gulf News, Asif Khan Fazle Subhan, a bus driver with RTA, said, “Let us fight the pandemic collectively by participating in the vaccination drive.”
Subhan, 37, a resident of Peshawar region of Pakistan, has been with the RTA for the last four years.
“I was most willing to take the vaccination and am feeling very good so far. I am confident that this vaccine will work well in controlling COVID-19 infections,” said Subhan, father of two children who is looking forward to receiving his second vaccination dose 21 days later.
“I would recommend we all take the vaccine if we want to stop the pandemic,” said Subhan.
The others in the first batch to receive the vaccine were 84-year-old Ali Salem Ali Aladidi; 36-year-old Shamaa Saif Rashid Alalili from Dubai Ambulance; and 32-year old Adel Hassan Shukralla from Dubai Police.
