500K Sinopharm vaccine doses to be delivered to Egypt by end of April

CAIRO – 21 April 2021: Spokesperson of the Ministry of Health and Population Khaled Megahed stated Tuesday that 500,000 Sinopharm anti-COVID-19 vaccine doses will be delivered to Egypt later in April.

That is within a deal with China to supply 20 million doses of that vaccine.

On Thursday, Egypt’s Health Minister Hala Zayed said the country will receive until the end of May 4.5 million coronavirus vaccine doses through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX).

In a meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli, Zayed said Egypt has contracted with China’s Sinopharm to receive 20 million vaccine doses.

She added that half a million Sinopharm doses will arrive in Egypt soon.

Egypt has started its vaccination campaign in January, starting with the medical teams at quarantine hospitals, for being on top of priority groups in terms of vaccination.

It has also started vaccination people suffering from chronic diseases and the elderly.

Egypt has received Sinopharm and AstraZeneca vaccine doses.

On 1 April, Egypt received a shipment comprising 854,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses, upping total number of the received vaccine to around 1.5 million doses.

On Thursday, Alaa Eid, head of the preventive healthcare sector said 320,000 citizens have been vaccinated against coronavirus.

Zayed, during the meeting with Madbouli, said the ministry has allocated 200 centers for administering the vaccine nationwide free of charge.

Zayed said the centers work with full capacity during the fasting month of Ramadan to meet the medical needs of citizens.

Madbouli said President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has issued directives to expand the program of administering vaccines across the republic to curb the spread of the pandemic.