CAIRO: A contract has been signed by the Egyptian Authority for Unified Purchase with pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, and expects to receive 50,000 coronavirus vaccine doses from the company in February, announced Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed.
The minister explained that the vaccines will be distributed using the country’s electronic registration system, and that medical workers, the elderly and critical cases would be prioritised given that the initial doses will only be enough to inoculate 25,000 people.
She said that the vaccinations would reduce the number of deaths, and would blunt the symptoms of the disease, preventing infection and limiting its spread.
In total, the ministry expects to receive 20 million vaccine doses from AstraZeneca, and 40 million doses of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine, as well as securing vaccines for about 20 percent of the population through the GAVI Vaccine Alliance.
In previous statements, Zayed said that a partnership contract had been signed with an international company to manufacture vaccines in Egypt, with the aim of exporting them to other African countries.
The ministry has set up a complex for vaccines in Helwan, on an area of 10,000 square meters, with 27 storage fridges.
She explained that the ministry is currently conducting consultations with one of the companies producing the single-dose coronavirus vaccine for this purpose.
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