The highest vaccinated nation UAE still grapples with rise in COVID-19

Daily infections in the UAE hovered at around 2,000 since March from a peak of about 4,000 in February. The UAE, though, tests more people per capita than most nations and has one of the lowest fatality rates in the world.

Earlier in the month of June, The United States has raised its COVID 19-related travel advisory for the United Arab Emirates to “level 4 – do not travel,” the U.S. State Department

The advisories for Liberia, Mozambique, Uganda and Zambia were also raised to level 4 – do not travel, the State Department said in a statement.

Dubai, the financial hub of the Middle East, is preparing to host the delayed Expo 2020 international exhibition in October. The emirate is aiming for 25 million unique visits and hopes to generate billions of dollars in revenue.

While the best vaccines are thought to be 95% effective, it takes a coordinated campaign to stop a pandemic

Vaccines from Pfizer Inc. and AstraZeneca Plc are available in the UAE, though the country’s vaccination program has hinged on Sinopharm, which is being produced locally. The government said it plans to offer a third Sinopharm shot to people who’ve already got two doses.

UAE according to Bloomberg vaccine tracker has so far administered 15.5 million doses, enough to cover 72.1% of its mostly expatriate population of 10 million based on a two-dose regimen. The Seychelles has administered enough doses to cover 71.7% of its population of just under 100,000.

While the best vaccines are thought to be 95% effective, it takes a coordinated campaign to stop a pandemic. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious-disease official in the U.S., has said that vaccinating 70% to 85% of the U.S. population would enable a return to normalcy.

On a global scale, that’s a daunting level of vaccination. At the current pace of 40.5 million a day, it would take another year to achieve a high level of global immunity. The rate, however, is steadily increasing, and new vaccines by additional manufacturers are coming to market.