German ambassador voices support to Sisi’s call for fair distribution of coronavirus vaccine

CAIRO – 23 September 2021: German Ambassador to Cairo Frank Hartmann affirmed support to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s repetitive call for fair distribution of coronavirus vaccine doses.

In a press conference at the Egyptian Health Ministry, Hartmann affirmed that Germany has provided Egypt with 2.3 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses during the past period.

This comes after Egypt received earlier this week 850,000 AstraZeneca doses from the German government.

On Wednesday, Egypt’s Health Minister Hala Zayed said the country has received a total of 33.657 million doses of AstraZeneca, Sinovac, Sinopharm, Sputnik V and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

Egypt also plans to release 1.926 million doses of the locally-made Sinovac vaccine between 18 to 24 September, the minister said in a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Zayed reviewed the ongoing preparations to receive the first shipment of the Pfizer vaccine in a number of governorates, noting that the total storage capacity in the governorates have reached 4.366 million.

The minister said the ministry has purchased and distributed 600 refrigerators to expand the preparations to receive the vaccine doses.

The number of vaccination centers nationwide has reached 830, the minister said, including the offices allocated for travel purpose, Zayed added.

Concerning Egypt’s “Maan Natmaen” (translated as together we rest assured) campaign that encourages citizens in the governorates to be vaccinated, the minister said it has included 18 governorates.

Between 16 to 21 September, the campaign has included the governorates of Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Kafr El-Sheikh, Beni Suef, Sharqia, Menoufia, Sohag, Suez, Damietta, Assiut, Port Said, Gharbia, Minya and Ismailia, Zayed said.

During this period, 45,460 citizens have been registered on the ministry’s vaccination website, according to Zayed.

Egypt’s vaccination campaign has started in January using various types of imported vaccines and vaccinating millions of citizens.

Egypt has also locally manufactured millions of the Sinovac vaccine doses to cover its needs and export doses to other African countries.

This comes within the state’s plan to vaccinate 40 percent of the population (around 40 million citizens) by the end of the year.

In a Tuesday speech at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 76), President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said Egypt has been keen on manufacturing the COVID-19 vaccine locally, not just to meet the country's needs but also to meet the needs of the whole African continent which suffers the most due to the pandemic.

Sisi added that Egypt realizes the seriousness of the discrepancy in the paths of economic recovery between countries, according to its ability to provide the necessary numbers of vaccines.