Egypt’s Minister of Health and Population Hala Zayed announced that 911 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and 42 fatalities were recorded across the country on Wednesday.
During a press conference, Zayed confirmed that the 51st week of the global pandemic witnessed the highest number of infections worldwide. She said that Cairo, Giza, Alexandria and Qaliubiya governorates recorded the highest numbers of infections.
The minister noted that the scientific committee to combat COVID-19 has approved the announced vaccines for their use in Egypt. She emphasised that officially adopting vaccines requires about 13 years, including 10 years of trials, and three years to monitor cases after injection.
However, the world is facing the coronavirus pandemic, and the medical community has resorted to approving vaccines for emergencies.
Zayed further emphasised that the scientific committee decided to approve the Chinese vaccine, Sinopharm, because it was manufactured using the same vaccine system for other viruses that have proven effective.
The committee has placed the Moderna vaccine as a second choice, due to its being manufactured with new technology.
The health minister revealed that Egypt has obtained a positive evaluation from the World Health Organization (WHO), allowing the domestic manufacture of a coronavirus vaccine.
