On Sunday, Egypt’s Minister of Health Hala Zayed announced that registration for citizens to receive the coronavirus vaccine will start next week.
In a press conference, Zayed asserted that citizens will be able to register their names to receive the vaccine starting next week, noting that the priority will be given to the elderly and those suffering from chronic diseases.
Earlier this year, the health ministry launched a website for citizens to reserve doses of a Covid19 vaccine. Those who register on the website will receive a text message indicating the time and location for receiving the vaccine.
The Ministry of Health started its coronavirus vaccination campaign in late January by vaccinating medical workers at quarantine hospitals using the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine.
During the press conference, Zayed said “Egypt will also receive a “big” shipment of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccines within hours as a gift from China.”
Moreover, Zayed declared that Egypt will further receive later this month a total of 8.6 million vaccine doses developed by the British-Swedish pharmaceutical, AstraZeneca.
“The country is set to receive a total of 40 million vaccine doses from GAVI during the course of 2021.” added Zayed.
Furthermore, she revealed during the press conference that no unexpected side effects have been recorded so far after the first shots of the vaccine were administered to doctors and health workers.
Zayed added that some healthcare workers and Medical staff in all hospitals nationwide, are currently taking the second shot.
According to Zayed, the ministry has designated sites in all 27 governorates for citizens to get the vaccine, stressing that the ministry would follow up on citizens’ health status after they receive the vaccine.
It’s worth noting that Egypt officially received the first batch of 50,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine in December as a gift from the UAE.
In the same context, China pledged to supply Egypt soon with 300,000 Sinopharm vaccine doses.
Lately, Egypt also received the first batch of vaccine doses from AstraZeneca from the Global Vaccine Alliance and Immunisations (GAVI).
“We have begun steps to register three Chinese, English and Russian companies, and within a few days, new shipments will be received and new vaccines will be registered,” Zayed said earlier this year.
