October 22nd, 2009
Egypt ordered from WHO 15 million doses of vaccine against A/H1N1
Egyptian Ministry of Health asked the World Health Organization (WHO) to give the country 15 million doses of vaccine against the virus A/H1N1 of 300 million doses, which would be received from the international organization of production companies for the distribution as a humanitarian aid between the developing and poor countries, said on Wednesday in Cairo, Egyptian Deputy and Health Minister Nasser al-Sayyid.
He stressed that first of all will vaccinate school-age children and students, as well as citizens at risk. “It is now possible to conclusively say that the vaccine is safe and can be used for mass vaccination of the population” - added Al-Sayyid.
On Wednesday, Egypt’s Ministry of Health published the latest data of dangerous form of influenza in the country - their number is close to 1.05 thousand people, three have died. The country has an emergency plan to prevent the epidemic A/H1N1 in schools with the start of the third in October of the new school year. It is already known about the closure of the two-week quarantine order of ten secondary schools across the country, having identified the classes of cases A/H1N1 students.
Egypt, where the population exceeds 80 million people, is a country with an increased risk of epidemiological spread of A/H1N1. The authorities are taking all possible measures to prevent the rapid spread of the disease. Egyptian Ministry of Health has concluded contracts for the purchase of five million doses of vaccine imported A/H1N1 and expressed its readiness to early next year to purchase a further five million doses.