Egypt’s Minister of Health Hala Zayed announced Friday that factories at the Holding Company for Biological Products and Vaccines (VACSERA) have already started manufacturing COVID-19 vaccines in cooperation with the Chinese company Sinovac.
She said that Egypt is in the process of producing the first two million doses within the agreement with Sinovac, and is scheduled to produce 40 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine by the end of this year
Zayed added that Egypt is the first country in the African continent to start manufacturing the coronavirus vaccine, thanks to national companies that played a vital role in the manufacture of vaccines and serums over the past decades.
This contributes to supporting efforts aimed at providing the vaccine to millions of people around the world, especially in African countries.
Zayed added the decrease in the number of infections with the coronavirus in Egypt during the recent period, coinciding with the rollout of the vaccine.
Egypt has obtained 2.2 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX facility, in which Egypt has participated since December 2020, through which it iss expected to obtain a total of 40 million doses of the vaccine, in addition to 3.5 million doses of Sinopharm in cooperation with China, she said.
Egypt’s Health Ministry on Friday confirmed 589 new coronavirus cases, bringing the country’s total up to 276,190.
The total number of COVID-19-related deaths has now reached 15,791 nationwide, after the ministry announced 31 deaths.
The ministry said that 899 patients were discharged from quarantine at isolation hospitals, raising Egypt’s total number of fully-recovered cases to 204,701.
Egypt’s vaccination campaign that began in January is still working to vaccinate medical staff, people over the age of 65, and those with chronic illnesses, but registration for the jab is open to all.
Egypt is currently using China’s Sinopharm vaccine and the UK’s AstraOxford vaccine. The Ministry of Health announced that it will soon begin producing Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine at VACSERA.
The ministry reported in mid-May that it has vaccinated 1.3 million people since its campaign began on January 24, and over five million have registered on the ministry’s website for the jab.
Doctors and officials continue to warn the public to abide by coronavirus precautionary measures and push for vaccination, stating that social distancing is just as important as wearing a mask.
