Children should be at the back of the queue for Covid-19 vaccines, with priority given to the vulnerable in low-income countries, a United Nations children's fund leader has said.
Many developing nations remain without access to widespread vaccines for their most at-risk communities.
Until that changes, the wider world is unlikely to pull out of the pandemic and will continue to be at risk of new viral mutations, said Ted Chaiban, Mena director with Unicef.
What is critical now is to accelerate this roll-out to make sure vaccines are available as quickly as possible
"It is important to go in the order of priorities," Mr Chaiban told The National.
“Before getting to children, it is important to vaccinate high-risk groups in all countries, and the emphasis should be on that.
"We still need vaccines for front-line workers in many countries – such as Syria, Yemen, Sudan and Djibouti.
“Many more vaccines are needed than are currently available."
Mr Chaiban said these groups should be a priority, rather than extending coverage to low-risk groups in high-income countries.
Only after the high-risk groups, such as those with health conditions and the elderly, should governments advocate vaccines for the wider population.
“It is a wonderful development that several of the vaccines are safe for children, and they should have vaccines, but that sequencing is very important," he said.
In the US, an emergency designation to allow younger school age children to be vaccinated is unlikely to be authorised until the start of the new school year, with toddlers and babies not vaccinated until the end of the year.
In the UK, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is unlikely to recommend the vaccination of under-18s, despite regulators granting approval for use of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in children aged 12 and older.
Experts recommend surplus supplies are instead shipped around the world to support developing nations with little existing community protection against Covid-19.
UAE health authorities have also approved the Pfizer vaccine for emergency use for children aged between 12 and 15, with hundreds of pupils over 16 already inoculated.
The Department of Health Abu Dhabi announced a trial of the Sinopharm vaccine in 900 children aged between three and 17 to study their immune response.
Leaders sound alarm bells over pace of vaccine roll-out
A warning from the World Health Organisation that the virus is moving faster than the global vaccine rollout has sounded alarm bells in some quarters.
The G7 Summit held in the UK saw the group of seven industrialised powers commit an extra 870 million doses to the WHO-led Covax vaccine alliance, which aims to secure doses for poor countries.
But that is a fraction of the 11 billion vaccines required worldwide to offer 70 per cent protection that could see Covid-19 finally in retreat.
Covax has shipped far fewer vaccines to emerging nations than hoped.
So far, just 87 million doses have been distributed to 131 countries.
A team at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in the US examined how refugees and displaced populations would struggle to access the Covid-19 vaccine.
At current rates, poorer countries may not be able to widely vaccinate their populations until 2023, its data found.
“We welcome the announcement of the G7 summit [of the vaccine pledge],” said Mr Chaiban.
"What is critical now is to accelerate this rollout to make sure vaccines are available as quickly as possible.
“Funding is required for the dissemination of those vaccines, and this needs about $650 million to support that.
“Support is needed for the internal logistics to reach vaccination points, like village clinics and hospitals.
“Our concerns have been focused on low and middle-income countries without the wherewithal or connections to access vaccines commercially in the same manner as high income countries.
“No one is safe until everyone is safe and it will prevent the global economy from functioning properly.”
A new report by the International Labour Organisation and Unicef found disruption to education during the pandemic has placed millions of children at risk from entering child labour.
The number of children in child labour has risen to 160 million worldwide – an increase of 8.4 million children in the last four years.
Those aged between 5 and 17 in hazardous work – defined as work that is likely to harm their health, safety or morals – has risen by 6.5 million, to 79 million, since 2016.
Mr Chaiban said hybrid-learning with children attending school in shifts with the same cohort is likely to be developed in many countries ahead of the new school year in September.
“It is essential we support children with a resumption of public health activities in low and middle-income countries, and a continuation of schools is essential to that,” he said.
“Some children have only been intermittently engaging with learning for the last 18 months.
“It is extremely important we do not lose another school year and children can get back into the classroom in September.”
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 715bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh1,289,376
On sale: now
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The biog
Age: 19
Profession: medical student at UAE university
Favourite book: The Ocean at The End of The Lane by Neil Gaiman
Role model: Parents, followed by Fazza (Shiekh Hamdan bin Mohammed)
Favourite poet: Edger Allen Poe
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On Instagram: @WithHopeUAE
Although social media can be harmful to our mental health, paradoxically, one of the antidotes comes with the many social-media accounts devoted to normalising mental-health struggles. With Hope UAE is one of them.
The group, which has about 3,600 followers, was started three years ago by five Emirati women to address the stigma surrounding the subject. Via Instagram, the group recently began featuring personal accounts by Emiratis. The posts are written under the hashtag #mymindmatters, along with a black-and-white photo of the subject holding the group’s signature red balloon.
“Depression is ugly,” says one of the users, Amani. “It paints everything around me and everything in me.”
Saaed, meanwhile, faces the daunting task of caring for four family members with psychological disorders. “I’ve had no support and no resources here to help me,” he says. “It has been, and still is, a one-man battle against the demons of fractured minds.”
In addition to With Hope UAE’s frank social-media presence, the group holds talks and workshops in Dubai. “Change takes time,” Reem Al Ali, vice chairman and a founding member of With Hope UAE, told The National earlier this year. “It won’t happen overnight, and it will take persistent and passionate people to bring about this change.”
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
'Laal Kaptaan'
Director: Navdeep Singh
Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Manav Vij, Deepak Dobriyal, Zoya Hussain
Rating: 2/5
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
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Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
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Price: On request
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
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Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
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Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
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2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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