Seasonal flu vaccine available for LE 200 a dose: Egypt’s Health Ministry

CAIRO - 21 August 2022: The annual seasonal flu vaccines are available and will be distributed nationwide, announced the state-owned Company for Biological Products and Vaccines "Vacsera,” announced the Health Ministry Spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar in a statement on Saturday.

He added that one shot of the vaccine costs 190 EGP plus EGP 10 for service fees, noting that the cold chain transportation guarantees the safety of the vaccines until being distributed nationwide.

Influenza vaccine is effective in preventing infection with the disease from 50 to 60%, he continued.

Vacsera is proceeding to localize the pharmaceutical industry in the country, according to the directives of the political leadership, said Chairman of the Board of Directors Dr. Heba Wali. 

Dr. Wali noted that the authority is seeking to put Egypt on the map of the global pharmaceutical market, through pharmaceutical manufacturing investments. In this regard, she added that two factories are currently being established for human and veterinary vaccines. 

Dr. Heba Wali further said that a huge infrastructure is being prepared for pharmaceutical manufacturing and securing medicine for all Egyptians, noting that the company aims to produce 8 major vaccines through the manufacturing technology transfer agreement concluded between the Indian company Serm, one of the largest vaccine manufacturers in the world, and Vacsera.

The head of the Holding Company for Biological Products and Vaccines explained that "the vaccine complex produces vaccines for dogs, snakes, scorpions, snakes and tetanus, and also owns a factory for the production of human insulin," adding that 30 million doses of the Corona vaccine were produced in accordance with the agreement signed with China, noting that these vaccines are of high quality and can be exported abroad after meeting the needs of the country.

The Vacsera factory complex, located in October city, is scheduled to produce 400 million doses of veterinary vaccines for bird flu, in addition to 7 other vaccines related to animal production.

The complex can produce 300 million doses of human vaccines, including Corona vaccines, through a factory and a line Production of human vaccines packaging, she added. 

"We have provided 8 production control laboratories included in the complex, equipped with the latest devices for measuring production quality in the various stages of manufacturing, with the storage capacity of the cold storage complex for vaccines exceeds 150 million doses," Dr. Wali added. 

She stressed that thanks to the support and guidance of the political leadership, "Egypt has become among the 6 leading countries in the field of vaccine transfer and manufacturing technology."

"Egypt is about to become a regional center for the production and manufacture of local vaccines on the African continent, in addition to being an important center in the field of vaccine preservation and refrigeration technology," Dr. Wali said. 

She pointed to the importance of the role of the logistics complex in raising the Egyptian capabilities in the field of vaccine preservation, as the logistics cooling complex will be the largest complex for preserving vaccines on the level of the African continent, stressing the importance of confronting the Corona virus and various epidemic diseases.