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- The move would make Egypt 鈥渢he biggest vaccine producer in the Middle East and Africa,鈥� a statement said
- Experts had previously traveled to Egypt to inspect equipment and materials for producing the vaccine
CAIRO: Egypt said Wednesday it plans to manufacture one billion doses a year of China鈥檚 Sinovac vaccine, claiming it would become the Middle East and Africa鈥檚 鈥渂iggest vaccine producer.鈥�
Under the deal with the Chinese pharmaceutical company, a factory in Cairo will produce more than 200 million doses per year to cover 鈥渘ational needs,鈥� Health Minister Hala Zayed told a press conference.
A second factory will produce three million doses per day, 鈥渙r around a billion a year,鈥� with a view to exporting the vaccine for Covid-19 and responding to demand in Africa, Zayed added.
The move would make Egypt 鈥渢he biggest vaccine producer in the Middle East and Africa,鈥� an official statement said.
Heba Wali, the doctor in charge of the project, said the Egyptian drug authority had given its go-ahead and that 鈥渙ne million doses have already been distributed in Egypt.鈥�
Chinese experts had previously traveled to Egypt to inspect equipment and materials for producing the Sinovac vaccine at factories belonging to state firm Vacsera.
Egypt, with a population of over 100 million, has officially recorded more than 288,000 Covid-19 cases, including over 16,700 deaths.
Some 7.5 million Egyptians have had at least one vaccine dose.