Egypt's Minister of Health and Population Hala Zayed announced, on Saturday, that the ministry has received 300,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The vaccine has been produced by the China National Pharmaceutical Group Company (Sinopharm), and has been sent as a gift from China to Egypt. The ministry said that the shipment comes as part of strengthening the means of cooperation between the two friendly countries to combat COVID-19. Egypt is the first African country to obtain a coronavirus vaccine and start vaccinating medical teams, according to a statement from the Ministry of Health. The ministry noted that the shipment will be checked in Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) laboratories before completing the vaccination of medical personnel and eligible groups of citizens with chronic diseases and the elderly. According to the statement, the vaccination of eligible groups of citizens is being completed through 40 health units nationwide, after registering on the website dedicated to that purpose: www.egcovac.mohp.gov.eg. The Ministry of Health and Population also pointed to the allocation of an office in health units and hospitals nationwide, to facilitate registering citizens of the eligible groups who cannot register on the website to get the vaccine. Egypt has received an additional 300,000 doses of the Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine last February. According to Zayed, the scientific committee to combat COVID-19 approved the Chinese vaccine, because it was manufactured with the same vaccine system used for other vaccines and other viruses that have proven effective. The Sinopharm vaccine was approved by the EDA's emergency department, as it has proven 86% effective in preventing the coronavirus. It has also proven 99% effective in producing antibodies to the virus, and 100% in preventing access to moderate and severe cases, according to Egypt's health authorities.
