The first batch of the Russian drug against coronavirus Sputnik V has been delivered to Egypt. This was announced on Thursday by the local Office of Unified Purchasing, Medical Supply and Medical Technology Management.
"As part of the state's efforts to acquire specialized vaccines against coronavirus, the office has received a batch <...> of the Russian drug Sputnik V. The vaccine was delivered to Cairo International Airport in the quantity agreed upon in the contract. Another batch of the drug will arrive soon," the agency said in a statement posted on its Facebook page.
In May, Egyptian authorities announced an agreement with Russia on supplies of 20 million doses of Sputnik V by the end of the year. In addition, on April 22, the Russian Direct Investment Fund and Egyptian company Minapharm agreed to produce over 40 million doses of the drug a year.
The vaccination program began in Egypt in early January, primarily targeting healthcare workers and the elderly. Starting in March, the Arab republic began vaccinating everyone against coronavirus. Vaccines are now available in the country from Chinese corporations Sinopharm and Sinovac, as well as from the British-Swedish company AstraZeneca.
In Egypt, with a population of more than 100 million, 278,761 cases of COVID-19 have been reported since the start of the pandemic and 207,411 patients have recovered. 15,967 people died from the consequences of infection.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: AP / TASS
Based on materials from TASS