CAIRO – Egypt’s Minister of higher education and scientific research and acting health minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar announced Sunday the start of clinical trials for the first domestically made coronavirus vaccine, with the participation of 72 volunteers.
During a news briefing earlier in the day, the minister said the 100%-Egyptian COVI-VAX vaccine marks the culmination of diligent efforts exerted by a team of Egyptian researchers and scientists at the National Research Center (NRC).
It was a product of cooperation between the NRC and the private-sector bio-technology company Vaccine Valley, he noted.
Abdel Ghaffar stressed that the Egyptian vaccine will not be less effective than other vaccines approved by the World Health Organization (WHO), which have proven to be effective against the virus.
“It took us from six to eight months to obtain the Egyptian Drug Authority’s approval before producing the vaccine,” the minister said, adding that initial results have demonstrated the vaccine’s effectiveness.
The minister said that ever since the onset of the Covid-19 outbreak, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has urged Egyptian scientists to develop a home-made coronavirus vaccine and offering all necessary support to the scientific research system.
He revealed that a scientific alliance has been formed to produce another home-made vaccine in the near future.
