DUBAI - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has approved the emergency use of a new recombinant protein vaccine manufactured by China's Sinopharm, the health ministry said on Tuesday.

In a statement published on its official website, the ministry said "the emergency use of the new vaccine is in full compliance with the regulations and laws for a faster review of licensing procedures".

The UAE health authority said the protein-based Sinopharm vaccine was approved after strict monitoring and evaluation of the data of the study conducted in the UAE, which included individuals who were previously vaccinated with two doses of the Sinopharm inactivated vaccine.

The protein-based vaccine will be used as a booster jab in the UAE, which has fully vaccinated over 91 percent of its population.

The new Chinese vaccine demonstrated an improved immune capacity against the new variants, "with a high safety rate that allows rapid production and easy storage and distribution," the ministry added.

The UAE approved the Sinopharm inactivated vaccine on Dec 9, 2020, to boost the country's vaccination drive against the virus.