Vaccine tourism was discreetly launched by the United Arab Emirates: the capital Abu Dhabi has been offering free vaccines since mid-June to anyone with a visa issued by the emirate authorities, visitors included.
The Abu Dhabi government has not officially announced the vaccination of tourists, but authorities said in a very brief statement on June 11 that free vaccines against the coronavirus had been approved for anyone with a "visa d. 'Entrance ".
Until now, vaccination has only been open to citizens and permanent residents of the Emirates, a wealthy Gulf country in which around 90% of the population is made up of expatriates.
The app from Abu Dhabi's health authority Seha now displays an option for visitors to register for either the German-American vaccine Pfizer / BioNTech or the vaccine from Chinese laboratory Sinopharm.
People with a visa issued by Abu Dhabi or a passport "eligible for a visa on arrival" can register on Seha to be vaccinated, says the application.
The United Arab Emirates is made up of seven principalities, including the capital Abu Dhabi and Dubai, where measures against the coronavirus and vaccination rules remain different.
A massive vaccination campaign
The Abu Dhabi committee responsible for managing the health crisis had also announced in mid-June the possible vaccination of people whose residence or entry visa had expired "for their safety and health, and given the exceptional circumstances of the crisis. pandemic ”.
The Emirates have launched a mass vaccination campaign, with inoculation rates among the highest in the world.
Life in this Gulf country has largely returned to normal in recent months, with restaurants, malls and hotels all open.
In July 2020, Dubai was one of the first destinations to open its doors to international tourists.
Abu Dhabi had done the same at the end of December.
In total, the country has recorded nearly 614,000 cases of Covid-19, including 1,763 deaths.