UAE donates vaccines to the Philippines

National Task Force Against COVID-19 (Twitter)

The UAE has donated 100,000 doses of the locally produced Hayat-Vax COVID-19 vaccine to the Philippines.

The Philippines News Agency published a report calling the delivery a "huge aid to the country's vaccination program amid a limited supply of jabs globally."

Khalid Alhajeri, the acting charge d'affaires of the UAE Embassy in Manila, attended the vaccine delivery ceremony along with officials from the National Task Force Against COVID-19.

Reports also confirm that the Philippine Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine for emergency use on Wednesday.

Assistant Secretary Wilben Mayor called the move “very helpful” as the Philippines fights against the pandemic and the delta variant.

The vaccine, which is identical to Sinopharm, will be administered to people above the age of 18.

The UAE initiated production of the vaccine earlier this year after striking a deal with China to permit Abu Dhabi's Group 42 and Julphar to manufacture locally.

More from UAE