Egypt is to receive 500,000 doses of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine during May under the procured 20 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, the health ministry announced on Tuesday. The Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed discussed with Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang the means of cooperating between the two countries in the fields of the provision of vaccines. They discussed readiness by both Egyptian and Chinese sides to sign a joint manufacturing deal between Cairo and Chinese Sinovac in the next few days to manufacture the Chinese company's COVID-19 vaccine through state-owned vaccine maker Vacsera. Zayed and the Chinese ambassador also mulled setting an activation mechanism for a QR code between the two countries, which will provide information on PCR tests, antibodies and the vaccination. The government is seeking to secure vaccines for the over populous nation as it continues to expand its immunisation program. Egypt has already received around 650,000 doses of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine in the past few months, which it currently administers with the AstraZeneca jab. The country has so far received over 1.5 million doses of jabs, with more deliveries expected in the upcoming months.
