Egypt’s health minister in UAE over coronavirus vaccine
Ahram Online, , Thursday 17 Dec 2020
Zayed will discuss with Emirati officials plans to supply Egypt with more batches of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine


Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed left for the UAE on Thursday morning to discuss with Emirati officials plans to supply Egypt with more batches of a coronavirus vaccine.Last week, Cairo received the first batch of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine, which was flown from the UAE.




The health ministry stated on Thursday that Zayed will discuss with the Emirati side the possibility of transferring vaccine manufacturing technologies to the well-established Egyptian Holding Company for Biological Products and Vaccines, known as Vacsera, which is the country's only producer of vaccines and the oldest manufacturer of vaccines In Africa and the Middle East.

Zayed will also meet with her UAE counterpart to discuss exchanging expertise with regard to the results of the clinical trials conducted on Covid-19 vaccines, as well as means to bolster bilateral health cooperation, the statement added.

Last Thursday Egypt received a 50,000-dose batch of the Sinopharmvaccine.

Egypt and the UAE are among 100 countries that participated in phase three clinical trials of the Chinese vaccine.

Zayed received two doses of Sinopharm’s vaccine in November during the trials carried out in Egypt. She said the vaccine has proven 86 percent effective against coronavirus, 99 percent effective in producing antibodies, and 100 percent effective in patients suffering from moderate to severe symptoms.

The health minister said the government is in talks with Sinovac Biotech to manufacture the Chinese company’s vaccine for Egypt to meet the demand of the public and other African countries.

Egypt said the Sinopharm vaccine will be optional and free of charge for all Egyptians, assuring that medical staff, people with chronic diseases, and the elderly will be prioritised.


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