As part of Thursday’s announcement of the historic peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates brokered by the Trump Administration, the two nations will increase collaboration on a coronavirus vaccine, the Reuters news agency has reported.
The joint statement emerging from the agreement, to be known as the Abraham Accords, states that “the United Arab Emirates and Israel will immediately expand and accelerate cooperation regarding the treatment of, and the development of a vaccine for, the coronavirus. Working together, these efforts will help save Muslim, Jewish and Christian lives throughout the region.”
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks on the phone with UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and U.S. President Donald Trump on the phone
(Photo: GPO)
Both countries are involved in the development of a vaccine. Israel last week announced that researchers from the government-run Israel Institute for Biological Research in Ness Ziona expected to begin human trials on their version in October.
On July 16, Phase III trials for an inactivated virus vaccine developed by the China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) began in Abu Dhabi. The UAE authorized the participation of up to 15,000 volunteers in the trials, which last week expanded outside Abu Dhabi with the opening of a testing facility in the emirate of Sharjah.
The Waffa news agency on Tuesday reported that the Palestinian Authority is expected to become one of the first places to receive Russia’s new coronavirus vaccine. PA President Mahmoud Abbas reportedly thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for the opportunity.
Putin announced on Tuesday that the country was the first to grant regulatory approval to a COVID-19 vaccine, named “Sputnik V.” There is international concern over the safety of the vaccine, which has not completed Phase III clinical trials involving thousands of participants.
Russia said the first batch of the vaccine would be rolled out within two weeks.