Egypt’s Minister of Health and Population Hala Zayed, briefed Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on the latest efforts made by her ministry to combat the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Egypt.
During a cabinet meeting on Wednesday in New Alamein, the Health Minister noted that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a statement on the importance of vaccination in light of the emergence of the mutated Delta strain.
Zayed said that vaccination is still able to reduce hospitalisation and death rates for the most vulnerable groups.
She also reviewed the vaccine rollout in the country, saying the number of vaccination centres has been increased to 657 instead of 580 centres, and the number of mobile centres reached 145 instead of 134 centres. Major vaccination centres are also being prepared in Sharqia and Assiut governorates.
Regarding the regulations for vaccinating workers at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Zayed said that the vaccination units that have been allocated in university hospitals targeting medical staff will handle the rest of the workers in each university.
These units are also committed to providing the second dose of vaccines before the beginning of the new academic year.
University hospitals will vaccinate new students at the time of medically examining them through fixed points in student hospitals that are provided with devices and vaccines through the Ministry of Health.
Additionally, the Health Ministry has set a mechanism for vaccinating workers at the Ministry of Education and Technical Education.
Moreover, the Minister of Health addressed the current situation of supplying AstraZeneca, Sinovac, Sinopharma, Sputnik, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
She also pointed to the quantities planned to be received until the end of the current year of raw materials for manufacturing vaccines in the VACSERA factories. Six million doses will be released gradually as of 5 September.
