Egypt to obtain coronavirus vaccine doses from Pfizer, AstraZeneca after negotiations: Cabinet

CAIRO – 1 January 2021: Cabinet’s spokesman Nader Saad said Egypt is negotiating with the American Pfizer and the British-Swedish AstraZeneca to obtain batches of coronavirus vaccine.

He added that Egypt will obtain vaccine doses from the two companies, in addition to those of China’s Sinopharm, by the end of the negotiations.

This comes as the World Health Organization on Thursday has granted emergency validation to BioNTech-Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, according to a statement by WHO on Thursday.

Thus, it becomes the first coronavirus vaccine to receive such approval from WHO.

Egypt in December received its first batch of doses of a vaccine developed by Sinopharm, containing 50,000 doses. The batch arrived at the Cairo International Airport, coming from the UAE.

Health Minister Hala Zayed said Egypt will receive the vaccine batches in succession and will provide the doses for citizens free of charge, based on the directives of the president.

Sinopharm’s vaccine, according to UAE and Egypt, has an 86 percent efficacy against coronavirus. It has been involved in clinical trials in Egypt over the past few months. Zayed was one of the volunteers.

Zayed earlier said the Chinese vaccine has secured an emergency approval of the World Health Organization, adding that Egypt has signed a deal with the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization to secure the provision of further vaccine doses.

The priority in distributing the vaccine will be given to the medical staff in isolation hospitals, as well as chest and fevers hospitals, she said.

Also, cancer or kidney failure patients, older people and persons suffering from chronic diseases will be prioritized.

The vaccine is injected in the upper arm. It consists of two shots, 21 days apart.

The Chinese vaccine has shown 99 percent efficacy in producing antibodies to the novel virus and 100 percent efficacy in preventing cases from showing moderate or severe symptoms, Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said.