[Photo/Xinhua]

Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed said on Sunday that Egypt will start locally producing China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine in June.
埃及卫生部长扎耶德5月9日在开罗的一个新闻发布会上表示，埃及将于6月开始在本地生产中国科兴公司研发的新冠疫苗。

During a news conference in Cairo, the minister said that the first 2 million doses will be produced in June at the plants of the Egyptian Holding Company for Biological Products and Vaccines (VACSERA).
投产首月，埃及生物和疫苗制品控股公司(VACSERA)的工厂将生产首批200万剂科兴新冠疫苗。

"We will receive the first shipment of the raw materials needed to manufacture the vaccine on May 18," Zayed told reporters, adding that 40 million doses will be produced in the first year.
扎耶德告诉记者："我们将在5月18日接收到首批新冠肺炎疫苗原材料，今年将生产4000万剂新冠疫苗。"

Zayed noted that two agreements were signed between Sinovac and the VACSERA in April, with the first one enabling the Egyptian side to obtain the expertise and technical assistance to produce the vaccine, while the second giving VACSERA the license to manufacture and pack the vaccine in its factories.
扎耶德说，今年4月VACSERA与科兴公司签订了两份协议，根据第一份协议，科兴公司将为VACSERA提供与疫苗相关的所有技术信息，并提供技术援助，这将令埃及可以在本地生产科兴的疫苗。根据第二份协议规定科兴公司向VACSERA授予许可证，允许VACSERA在自己的生产设施中进行疫苗产品的灌装、包装等。