Egypt receives over 1.6 million Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine doses

CAIRO – 16 October 2021: Cairo International Airport received on Saturday 1,611,090 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine provided by the US government.

The shipment was provided through COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) in cooperation with the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) as part of the Egyptian state’s efforts to diversify and expand the use of vaccines.

Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said the vaccine doses will be examined by the Egyptian Drug Authority before being distributed to 1,100 vaccination centers nationwide within 14 days at most.

 

Egypt received late in September its first shipment of the Pfizer vaccine comprising 1,612,260 doses.

US Ambassador to Egypt Jonathan Cohen welcomed the arrival of the second shipment of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines to Cairo.

“The shipment of an additional 1.6 million Pfizer doses is part of a 500-million-dose donation from the United States to the countries of the African Union through COVAX,” a statement by the US Embassy to Cairo read.

The doses will “help protect Egyptians from COVID-19 and prevent the spread of the virus’s dangerous new strains,” the statement added.