Egypt received the first and second batches of 261,000 and 525,600 doses, respectively, of the US vaccine in August. 

Egypt contracted with the African Export-Import Bank in May to import 20 million Johnson & Johnson doses, which are currently designated by the ministry for travellers.

The new shipment will be tested in Egypt's Drug Authority labs before distribution to the vaccination centres across the country, the health ministry added.

Around 22 million people have been inoculated against the coronavirus since the launch of the vaccination campaign in January, Presidential Advisor for Health Affairs Mohamed Awad Tag El-Din told the media on Friday.

Egypt targets to vaccinate 40 million citizens by the end of the year, allocating around 1,100 vaccination centres nationwide.

Various types of imported vaccines are used in the campaign, including Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Sputnik V, Johnson & Johnson, and Pfizer, in addition to the locally-made Sinovac/VACSERA vaccine.

Egypt, which is going through the peak of the pandemic's fourth wave, has recorded a total of 324,619 infections and 18,285 deaths.