The United Arab Emirates has announced it will offer a third shot to recipients of the Chinese state-backed Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine six months after their initial two-dose regimen. The move appears to make the UAE the first country worldwide to formally introduce the booster, AP reports.

The brief statement comes after some residents in the UAE reported receiving a third shot amid concerns about an insufficient antibody response.

China's top disease control official acknowledged last month that the country's locally produced vaccines offer low protection against the virus, adding to growing questions over the shots efficacy.

The Sinopharm vaccine has become the linchpin of the UAE's vaccination campaign, among the fastest in the world per capita.