Egypt's Minister of Health and Population Hala Zayed announced the launch, on Sunday, of a nationwide vaccination campaign against Poliomyelitis. The campaign was launched from the Ahalina Medical Center in Cairo's Salam City, and will run from 28 February until 3 March 2021. It will be free of charge for all children up to five years old. Zayed confirmed that Egypt has succeeded in obtaining 38.2 million doses of the monovalent "SABIN" vaccine against polio, despite the current challenges that some countries are facing in obtaining this type of vaccination. Egypt obtained the doses in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), in the context of ensuring that Egypt remains polio-free. The minister added that children will be vaccinated with two consecutive doses of the monovalent vaccination through the implementation of two campaigns. The vaccination programme aims to raise community immunity against the disease, and acts as a pre-emptive step in conjunction with polio outbreaks in a number of neighbouring countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. "Egypt has a strong system of basic vaccination programmes, surveillance, and investigation of epidemic diseases that has contributed to keeping Egypt free from polio, according to a 2006 WHO announcement," Zayed said. According to a statement from the Ministry of Health and Population, the nationwide campaign will reach 100% of the 16.7 million children targeted, and covers both Egyptians and non-Egyptians residing in the country. Vaccination is done through fixed teams in more than 5,400 health offices and units, and medical centres, in addition to mobile teams in major squares, train and subway stations. There will also be vaccination points next to mosques, churches, clubs, markets, bus and car stops. Vaccines will be available from 8:00 until 17:00 every day.
