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HEALTH-VIRUS-EGYPT-VACCINE
Egypt to start Covid-19 vaccination campaign: Sisi
CAIRO, Jan 24, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – 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.
BSS/AFP/MSY/1402 hrs