CAIRO: The Ministry of Health will obtain five million doses of an H1N1 vaccine by next year, according to Nasr Al-Sayed, deputy health minister. "Egypt already ordered five million doses of the new vaccine from the manufacturing company, Al-Sayed said. Al-Sayed added that the ministry is contacting international pharmaceutical companies to negotiate deals to buy more of the vaccine. "The new vaccine will not be produced all over the world before next January, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), so there is no way we can provide it in Egypt earlier than that, Al-Sayed said. Drug companies worldwide will only produce 100 million doses of the vaccine, however it is estimated that six billion doses are needed. Two doses are required per person to protect against the H1N1 virus. Minister of Health Hatem El-Gabaly indicated that the ministry will not purchase the new vaccine in large quantities unless the situation in Egypt requires it to do so. "The virus at its current status is very mild and can simply be treated with an aspirin and a few days resting at home, El-Gabaly said, "so I will not buy a vaccine that costs the country millions of dollars unless it is needed.
