The third batch of Chinese-manufactured Sinovac vaccine against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic will arrive in Egypt in the next few days, Chinese Ambassador to Cairo Liao Liqiang has said.
China has so far provided 600,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine to Egypt in two batches, with the third batch set to reach 400,000 doses.
Liqiang added that 500,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine will also be provided for sale in Egypt in the coming days, also noting that China is keen to continue its cooperation with Egypt.
In a press conference on Sunday, the ambassador noted, “China is committed to supporting Egyptian efforts in confronting the COVID-19 pandemic and cooperation in general, and it is keen on strengthening cooperation and solidarity with Arab and African countries in particular, foremost among which is Egypt, and with developing countries in general.”
He pointed out that the number of doses given to Chinese so far is about 200 million doses, commented that it is not a large proportion, yet China has kept its pledge despite the difficulties.
Last week, the Egyptian Holding Company for Biological Products and Vaccines (VACSERA) and the Chinese biopharmaceutical company, Sinovac, signed an agreement to manufacture the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine in North Africa.
The agreement comes as part of joint efforts to achieve technical cooperation in this vital field, by taking advantage of the vaccine developed by Sinovac to combat COVID-19. The cooperation also seeks to exchange experiences to support VACSERA’s capabilities as a specialist in the manufacture of vaccines in Egypt. This will take place in a way that contributes to limiting the spread of this pandemic.
Liqiang said that the signing of two agreements between Egypt and China on manufacturing the vaccine locally in Egypt, between Sinovac and VACSERA, is new evidence of the two countries’ efforts to defeat Corona, and a new era in the history of cooperation between the two countries.
Sinovac started the third phase of clinical trials on the vaccine last year, with 25,000 volunteers participating in a number of countries. As a result, the safety of the vaccine has been proven. On 5 February, the Chinese National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) granted licences for use, Liqiang disclosed.
On 22 February, a phone call was made between the presidents of the two countries, during which they stressed solidarity and cooperation in facing the virus. They noted that this indicates the depth and strength of the Egyptian-Chinese relations, which are a model to be followed, the Chinese ambassador concluded.
