Egypt plans to produce 80 million vaccine doses in 2021: minister

CAIRO – 7 July 2021: Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed said the country is planning to locally produce 80 million vaccine doses by the end of the year to vaccinate 40 million citizens.

In a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Zayed explained the quantities of the raw material set to be exported to Egypt to produce more Sinovac vaccine doses.

Egypt already produced one million Sinovac doses as part of an agreement between the Egyptian holding company for biological products and vaccines (VACSERA).

In a press conference earlier this week, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli said Egypt’s daily production for COVID-19 vaccines currently is 300,000 doses, and that the government is discussing with China doubling the raw materials we import to raise the country’s daily production to 600,000 doses.

He noted that it was necessary for Egypt to have the capability to produce COVID-19 vaccines in order to protect citizens and prepare for the possibility of needing annual vaccination against the virus, “as COVID-19 doesn’t seem to end any soon from the whole world.”

Madbouly explained that Egypt managed the coronavirus crisis successfully during the past period.

Madbouly also noted that Egypt has sought, since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, to possess potentials enabling it to manufacture vaccines against the virus locally.

He added that the world's high demand for the vaccine made some companies the government contracted with delay their shipments' delivery to Egypt.

The prime minister thanked the government of China for supporting Egypt in that respect, pointing out that Minister of Health and Population Hala Zayed and state officials contacted the Chinese partners and got their approval to produce the vaccine in Egypt.