Egypt’s Health Minister Hala Zayed discussed cooperation on Thursday with Moderna pharmaceutical company representatives to provide its Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to Egypt, the ministry of health said.

In a video conference meeting, the minister also discussed ways to produce the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine locally in Egypt to provide vaccines to Africa countries in cooperation with international pharmaceuticals.

She added that Egypt was looking forward to allocating production lines in VACSERA factories to produce the vaccine locally, inviting Moderna officials to visit Egypt and to see the production capabilities of VACSERA factories in 6th of October city.

From their side, Moderna representatives stated that the company was ready to provide Egypt with shipments of the vaccine. They also updated the health ministry on their future plans concerning vaccine production.

Egypt’s VACSERA started producing China’s Sinovac locally in late July.

Russia’s Sputnik vaccine will also be produced locally after an agreement with a private sector company.

Currently Egypt’s stock of coronavirus vaccines comprise AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Sputnik, Sinovac and Johnson & Johnson.

According to source in the Health ministry, Egypt is going to receive Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in the second half of September.

Minister Hala Zayed stated last week that ten million people have been vaccinated in Egypt so far. Currently the government is intensifying its mass vaccination campaign in order to reach its target of vaccinating 40 million people by the end of the year.