File Photo: A citizen taking Covid-19 vaccine. Photo courtesy of Egyptian health ministry
In his report on the latest pandemic updates in Egypt during the weekly Cabinet meeting, Abdel-Ghaffar stated that an average of 551 thousand vaccines were administered daily.
The minister stated that there are currently 64.5 million vaccine doses available for use, adding that the current stock of vaccines is enough to immunise 100 percent of the targeted population, which is citizens 12 years and above.
Egypt has a stock of imported doses of the Sinopharm, Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Sputnik V, Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
It has also locally produced millions of doses of the Chinese Sinovac vaccine.
The minister said in his weekly report that the vaccination campaign’s targeted population is about 72 million people and that currently 31 million people have received their first dose of the vaccine.
He added that it is expected to reach 23 million fully vaccinated people by the end of December 2021.
The Egyptian government previously set a goal to fully vaccinate 40 million people by the end of 2021.
Abdel-Ghaffar also stated that, so far, 540,00 people from age groups less than 18 years old were vaccinated.
In November, Egypt approved the vaccination of minors between the ages of 12 and 18 years old, with 12- to 15-year-olds requiring parental approval to receive the Pfizer vaccine.
Concerning the booster shot, Abdel-Ghaffar stated that doses of the different types of vaccines were available to be administered as booster shots, adding that 23 million booster shots would be available till 30 June 2022.
The minister stated that booster shot is accessible in Egypt for those who received their second shot at least 6 months ago.
Eligible groups for the coronavirus booster shot are going to receive an SMS with details regarding their next appointment, he said.
The Egyptian government approved the administration of a booster shot in late November.
The groups eligible for a booster shot so far are patients who suffer from immunodeficiency, patients undergoing immunosuppressive therapy, the elderly, and healthcare workers.
The minister also revealed that the health ministry intensified its campaign to send text message to those who have not received their vaccine as of yet, and that 205,211 people received their second shot following the start of this push.
Furthermore, Abdel-Ghaffar discussed in his report the latest developments concerning the Omicron variant, adding that it appeared in 77 countries so far in citizens with or without a travel history.
Moreover, the people infected with Omicron show less severe symptoms than those found in those infected with the Delta and Beta variants.
According to Egyptian officials, the Omicron variant has not appeared in the country yet.
Short link: