UAE among first to receive AstraZeneca COVID-19 medication

Strengthening its fight against COVID-19, Abu Dhabi now has access to a new medication that will prevent severe infection and death in immunocompromised patients who are unable to get vaccinated.

Making the announcement, the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi said AstraZeneca’s AZD7442 is specifically designed to protect unvaccinated high-risk patients for up to 12 months from when they receive the first dose "through intramuscular injection or intravenous drip".

The medication will be procured, stored and distributed by Rafed Distribution Center, the region’s largest cold-storage facility and part of the Abu Dhabi-led Hope Consortium.

This makes the UAE amongst the first group of countries to receive the antibody medication. 

#AbuDhabi the first to receive a new medication to protect immunocompromised patients against Covid-19, supporting efforts to protect all members of the community in Abu Dhabi. pic.twitter.com/pRsSsJZMrZ

— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@ADMediaOffice) November 3, 2021

"The UAE continues to exhibit unprecedented leadership, with Abu Dhabi at its core, when it comes to a human-centred COVID-19 response," said Dr. Jamal Mohammed Alkaabi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi.

"The public-private partnership behind AZD7442, the world’s first long-acting antibody COVID-19 medication, is yet another example of the UAE’s successful pandemic response thus far."