Egypt receives 500K Sinovac coronavirus vaccine doses

CAIRO – 7 June 2021: Egypt received 500,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine developed by the Chinese company Sinovac, as part of the state’s plan to face the pandemic, Health Minister Hala Zayed announced on Monday.

Health Ministry Spokesman Khaled Megahed said Sinovac has proven 91 percent efficacy on general groups, according to a clinical study conducted in seven countries.

Those countries are the Philippines, Brazil, Chole, Turkey, Indonesia, China and Hong Kong, Megahed noted.

Citizens who will receive the first shot of the Chinese Sinovac vaccine will get the second one after 21 days, Megahed affirmed.

The Egyptian Holding Company for Biological Products and Vaccines (VACSERA) signed with Sinovac in April two agreements that allow Egypt to locally manufacture the vaccine.

VACSERA will manufacture the final product using the ready-made product provided by Sinovac.

The first agreement is related to the transfer of technology required to manufacture the vaccine doses, a Cabinet statement read. Under the agreement, Sinovac will grant VACSERA a limited license to use the manufacturing technology.

VACSERA will manufacture the vaccine inside the company’s production facilities.

The second agreement stipulates that Sinovac secures for Egypt all technical information related to the company’s vaccine and provides technical assistance.

Technical assistance will include examining VACSERA’s factories and testing the final product and means of manufacturing.

Last month, Egypt has received its first batch of the raw materials required to produce the Sinovac vaccine.

Zayed in a press conference said VACSERA will produce 40 million Sinovac doses in the first year.

Egypt is expected to produce the first batch of Sinovac doses by June 15, said Zayed on Sunday.