Egypt and China intend to sign a cooperation agreement on the production of a vaccine for protection against COVID-19 in September, Egyptian Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Mugahed said on Wednesday.
According to Egypt’s Al Ahram news outlet, this initiative was announced by Health Minister Hala Zayed in the wake of a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Cairo Liao Liqiang.
At the end of July, Egypt also claimed that the country would become the African hub to manufacture the Chinese vaccine if one is developed by Beijing.
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“The Egyptian and Chinese sides are expected to sign in September a cooperation agreement on the production of anti-coronavirus vaccines,” Mugahed said.
In early July, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Khaled Abdel Ghaffar stated that the scientists of the North African country conducted preclinical studies of at least four COVID-19 vaccine candidates and worked to develop three medications to treat the disease.
On Saturday, the Egyptian Health Ministry registered less than 100 cases of COVID-19 for the first time in more than four months.
According to Mohammed Tag El-Deen, the Egyptian president’s adviser for health affairs, an increase of COVID-19 infections is anticipated to start from October-December in connection with the expected growth of the number of patients with the seasonal flu. (Sputnik/NAN)