UAE Team Emirates Receives Covid-19 Vaccine

The UAE Team Emirates cycling team has now officially received the vaccine for Covid-19. A total of 27 riders, including the Tour de France 2020 winner Tadej Pogačar, plus 32 staff have now received the vaccine. That’s good news for the sport of cycling. And it’s good news for public health. But it’s kinda bad news if you believe the vaccine should be distributed based on need rather than status.

The Abu Dhabi based team (ok, they probably don’t spend much time in Abu Dhabi) was always first in line to receive vaccines from the UAE’s supply due to its valued role as an emissary for the state. And now both riders and staff have taken “the UAE Ministry of Health & Prevention approved COVID-19 vaccine developed by Sinopharm CNBG following the success of the #4Humanity trials facilitated by G42 Healthcare in the UAE.” We left all that stuff in because it’s fun to talk about which brands we’re all getting. The Cyclry New England team is up for the Pfizer vaccine, which is kind of the original Coca Cola of Covid-19 vaccines. Not to brag.

Here’s Tadej Pogačar getting his vaccine:

UAE Team Emirates Principal Mauro Gianetti, no stranger to administering injections to his riders, says, “As a UAE team we are enormously proud of the efforts the nation and its Leadership has taken at every level to both combat the impact the of the COVID-19 pandemic and to be a leader in the efforts to bring life back to normal.”

“The whole team is delighted to have been given the opportunity to protect ourselves and others through taking the vaccine and we would like to congratulate the UAE and all partners of this program for their incredible work to make this happen.”