Egypt authorizes Sputnik, AstraZeneca virus jabs

A health worker prepares a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19. (AFP/File)

• Yassin said the Egyptian authorities had approved four vaccines and are currently evaluating the remaining inoculations

CAIRO: Egypt has approved the Russian Sputnik V coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine and the AstraZeneca and Oxford University vaccine.
The Egyptian Drug Authority said it had granted an emergency license to use the two vaccines imported from South Korea.
The authority indicated that it had previously granted a permit to use the Chinese vaccine Sinopharma and AstraZeneca, produced in India.
Mahmoud Yassin, head of the authority’s Central Administration for Biological and Innovative Products, confirmed that it issued an emergency license to use the Sputnik V and AstraZeneca inoculations after they went through the necessary evaluation processes in accordance with international and local laws to ensure the safety, quality and effectiveness of the vaccine.
Yassin said the Egyptian authorities had approved four vaccines and are currently evaluating the remaining inoculations.
The Russian Direct Investment Fund indicated the importance of registering Sputnik V in Egypt, especially as it has the largest population in the Middle East.
Head of the fund, Kirill Dmitriev, stressed that the decision of the Egyptian Drug Authority reflects the effectiveness and safety of the Russian vaccine, adding that more countries are expected to register the vaccine in the coming weeks, which has received recognition as one of the best COVID-19 vaccines globally.
So far, the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine is being used in the vaccination campaign, with Egypt receiving 400,000 doses.
The Russian Embassy in Cairo said that it expects to produce the Russian Sputnik V vaccine in Egypt, after the medical authorities in Cairo agreed to use it.
The embassy added that it hopes to expand the boundaries of the mutually beneficial healthcare partnership, and localize the production of Russian medicines against COVID-19 in Egypt.