Russia is ready to supply the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine to Egypt, and it is also possible to transfer its production technology to set up production of the vaccine in this Arab country, the press service of the Russian embassy told RIA Novosti.
The embassy stresses that the vaccine has an efficiency of over 90% and, unlike many analogs, this vaccine does not require special expensive deep-freezing equipment - "it can be stored and transported at temperatures from plus 2 to plus 8 degrees Celsius, which makes it easy to deliver even to remote areas."
"Russia is open to immediate cooperation with Egypt in providing highly effective vaccinations against the coronavirus. If registration formalities are quickly completed, shipments of significant batches of Sputnik V could begin as early as January, with a steady build-up in the following months of 2021," the diplomatic mission said.
"Moreover, Russia is ready to transfer the technology for manufacturing this vaccine in Egypt itself, which has an adequate production base. This will not only enable the widest possible vaccination campaign but will also help develop the economic and foreign trade potential of our Egyptian friends," the embassy reported.
Deputy Health Minister of Egypt Muhammad Hassani said on January 7 that the country may soon begin clinical trials of the Russian vaccine against the coronavirus Sputnik V.
The Russian Ministry of Health in August registered the world's first COVID-19 preventive vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Research Center. It was named Sputnik V. The vaccine is based on a studied and proven platform of human adenovirus vectors, important advantages of which are safety, efficacy and absence of long-term adverse effects.
Egypt received the first batch of the coronavirus vaccine produced by the Chinese company Sinopharm as a gift from the UAE on December 10, and more shipments of the Chinese vaccine are expected. Cabinet Speaker Nadir Saad earlier said that vaccination is scheduled to begin in January. The vaccination will be free for Egyptian citizens. He also noted that under an agreement with the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), Egypt plans to receive 20 million doses of vaccines successfully certified by the WHO.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Julia Bubnova / TASS