ISMAILIA, Egypt, Jan. 24 – Egyptian Minister of Health and Population Hala Zayed announced on Jan. 24 that Egypt will start vaccinating health care workers with the Chinese Sinopharm Coronavirus inactivated vaccine on Jan. 25.
Zayed said at a press conference held at Abu Khalifa Emergency Hospital in Ismailia province on the same day that all public hospitals, police and military health care workers in Egypt will begin vaccination with Sinopharm Coronavirus vaccine on the 25th, with priority given to health care workers responsible for the consultation and treatment of patients with Coronavirus.
After healthcare workers, the elderly, patients with chronic diseases and immune system disorders will start vaccination, and finally the general population will be vaccinated.
Zayed said that the registration of Chinese vaccine has been completed with the Egyptian Drug Authority and three more Chinese vaccines will be completed in the coming days.
In addition, Egypt has booked 100 million doses of Coronavirus vaccine, including through the Global Alliance for Vaccine Immunization.
Mohamed Ahmed Ali, a member of the expert committee of the Egyptian Ministry of Health and a professor of virology at the Egyptian National Research Center, said at the press conference that the Chinese vaccine has been tested clinically in Egypt, and “I can guarantee the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.”
Abdul Munem Salem, a trainee doctor at Abu Khalifa Emergency Hospital, was vaccinated with Sinopharm Coronavirus vaccine on the same day and became one of the first Egyptian healthcare workers to receive the vaccine.
He expressed his belief that the Sinopharm Coronavirus vaccine is safe and effective, and recommended that the public use it whenever possible.
On December 31, 2020, China and Egypt signed the “Letter of Intent on Sino-Egyptian Cooperation on New Coronavirus Vaccine”.
On January 2 this year, Egypt officially approved the emergency use of Chinese vaccine in Egypt.
The latest data released by the Egyptian Ministry of Health shows that as of the 24th, Egypt has accumulated 161,817 confirmed cases of Coronavirus, 8,959 cumulative deaths and 126,497 cumulative cured cases.
