Egypt receives second batch of Chinese COVID-19 vaccine

Egypt has received the second batch of 50,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines developed by Chinese company Sinopharm, local media Egypt Today reported.

That brings the country's total inventory to 100,000 doses and is enough to have 50,000 people vaccinated. Each individual will need two doses of the vaccine with an interval of 21 days in between.

Unnamed sources from Egypt's Ministry of Health and Population told Egypt Today that the country aimed to provide 10 million doses of the Chinese vaccine to its people, and more shipments are expected in the month.

"It is not possible to use any vaccine except after making sure of its effectiveness and safety for humans," the source told Egypt Today. According to the source, the Chinese vaccine is safe and it is the same vaccine that over 3,000 volunteers have received with no reported health complications.

The source said that 99 percent of those who received the vaccine produced antibodies, 86 percent of those who were exposed to the coronavirus after receiving the vaccine did not get infected, and 14 percent showed only slight symptoms.