900K vaccinated in Egypt, over 45% of hospitals' capacity ready to receive COVID-19 patients: Health Min.

CAIRO – 2 May 2021: About 900,000 people have got vaccinated, and more than 45 percent of hospitals' capacity is ready to receive COVID-19 patients, Ministry of Health and Population announced Saturday.


Head of the Central Department of Preventive Affairs at the ministry Mohamed Abdel Fatah stated in a phone-in Saturday that 900,000 people out of two million who had registered for vaccination have got vaccinated.


The official added that the COVID-19 variation that appeared in India has not yet been detected in Egypt.


In another context, the ministry's Spokesperson Khaled Megahed noted that 45 percent of hospitals' beds have been allocated to receive COVID-19 patients. Dispelling worries given the recent rise in cases, he added that the strategic reserve of medical oxygen has reached 2.2 million liters.


Egypt’s Holding Company for Biological Products and Vaccines (VACSERA) and Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac signed two agreements to manufacture the Sinovav vaccine.


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


Similarly, Egypt’s leading pharmaceutical company Minapharm said it would produce over 40 million doses of the Russian-made Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine per year, as per an agreement with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).


The agreement to produce the world’s first registered vaccine against the novel virus also includes Minapharm’s Berlin-based subsidiary ProBioGen AG.


Minapharm in a press release said the parties to the agreement plan to immediately start transferring technology required, expecting the rollout of the vaccine in the third quarter of 2021.


Minapharm says production of the 40 million annual doses will take place in its Cairo biotech facility for global distribution.


Egypt has a deal with China for the latter to supply 20 million doses of Sinopharm vaccine in addition to others to be acquired through COVAX.


Egypt’s Health Minister Hala Zayed had said earlier that the country will receive until the end of May 4.5 million coronavirus vaccine doses through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX).