Egypt to start COVID-19 vaccination campaign with China's Sinopharm jab: Sisi

[vi-va]

Egypt to start COVID-19 vaccination campaign with China's Sinopharm jab: Sisi
Posted : 2021-01-24 14:21
Updated : 2021-01-24 14:21

Vials containing CoronaVac, Sinovac's vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), are seen at Butantan biomedical production center in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Jan. 22, 2021. Reuters

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced Saturday that Egypt would start rolling out a mass Covid-19 vaccination campaign the following day with the Chinese-made Sinopharm jab.

"We are starting a vaccination drive tomorrow beginning with healthcare workers followed by those suffering from chronic diseases and later the elderly," Sisi said in brief comments after unveiling several development projects in Port Said.

Egypt, the Arab world's most populous country, received its first batch of the Sinopharm vaccines in December.

The company says its vaccine is 79 percent effective against the novel coronavirus.

Earlier this month, Health Minister Hala Zayed said Egypt would also receive 40 million doses, mostly of the AstraZeneca/Oxford jab, via the Gavi vaccine alliance, with the aim of inoculating 20 percent of its more than 100 million strong population.

Egypt has registered over 160,000 novel coronavirus infections, including more than 8,850 deaths.

Health officials have warned that low testing rates mean the real number could be at least 10 times higher. (AFP)

Egypt to start COVID-19 vaccination campaign with China's Sinopharm jab: Sisi

India said it will administer homegrown coronavirus vaccine COVAXIN in seven more states from Monday as it seeks to inoculate 30 million healthcare workers across the country. The ...

www.koreatimes.co.kr

 

[Gomig-21]

No one can argue with the success that China has had with curbing the virus and practically eradicating it completely. So this is about as good as it can get for a choice to free up a country like Egypt of this deadly virus.

 

[TaiShang]

Egypt starts vaccinating medics with Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine

Xinhua · china.org.cn | January 25, 2021

Egypt started on Sunday vaccinating medical staff with Chinese Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital in the northeastern province of Ismailia, according to a vaccination program by the Egyptian Health Ministry.
Egypt started on Sunday vaccinating medical staff with Chinese Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital in the northeastern province of Ismailia, according to a vaccination program by the Egyptian Health Ministry.
"Today, I announce launching the national campaign of COVID-19 vaccination from Abu Khalifa Hospital, starting with the medical staff," Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed told a news conference at Abu Khalifa Emergency Hospital in Ismailia.
The minister explained that clinical trials have proved Sinopharm vaccine is safe and highly effective in COVID-19 prevention, especially "in prevention of COVID-19 infection with severe symptoms."
She added that Sinopharm vaccine has been registered at the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) and other vaccines from China, Britain and Russia will be registered within days.
Egypt received on Dec. 10, 2020 the first batch of Sinopharm vaccine, and the vaccine was officially licensed for emergency use later in the same month, after going through four tests conducted by the EDA.
The vaccination program starts with the medical staff of the hospitals of the Egyptian Health Ministry, the armed forces and the police.
"Starting from tomorrow, the medical staff of all Egyptian public hospitals, and those of the armed forces and the police, will start receiving these vaccines," Zayed told reporters.
The priorities, according to the vaccination campaign, are given to medical staff dealing with COVID-19 patients, followed by those dealing with other patients, the elderly, those with chronic or immunity diseases, and the rest of the citizens.
Zayed noted that Egypt has already reserved more than 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from different providers.
The minister said that she has gone through the clinical trial of the vaccine, as a message of reassurance and encouragement to all citizens.
Among the first medics to receive Sinopharm vaccine in Egypt was Abdel-Moneim Selim, a trainee physician at the intensive care unit (ICU) of Abu Khalifa Emergency Hospital in Ismailia.
"I was asked 10 days ago if I agree to take the vaccine and I have already made up my mind to do it. It is a safe vaccine and it was tried by many people before us. I recommend everyone to take the vaccine whenever possible, whether a medic or not, and whether old or young," the ICU doctor told reporters.
For his part, Mohamed Ahmed Ali, professor of virology at Egypt's National Research Center, said that he was among the members of the Health Ministry's committee who recommended the purchase of Sinopharm vaccine.
"I guarantee the safety and efficacy of the Chinese vaccine. I believe Sinopharm vaccine is one the safest," the professor said.

http://t.m.china.org.cn/convert/c_8K34BCCC.html