- Title: Egypt allows immediate COVID-19 vaccination amid fourth wave
- Date: 29th September 2021
- Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (SEPTEMBER 27, 2021) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF ROUD AL-FARAG YOUTH CENTRE WHERE WALK-IN CLINICS ARE INSTALLED TO VACCINATE CITIZENS VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WAITING THEIR TURN TO GET THE COVID-19 VACCINE PEOPLE ENTERING CLINIC NURSE PREPARING VACCINATION CITIZEN, ESSAM MOHAMMED, BEING VACCINATED VACCINE VIAL (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CITIZEN, ESSAM MOHAMMED, SAYING: "Vaccination at a youth centre is easier and very simple for people like me and everyone else. I did not want to go to the hospital (to be vaccinated) because it is very crowded and there is a lot of pressure on it, just like other venues. But here, the venue is vacant." NURSE INOCULATING CITIZEN PEOPLE WAITING TO GET VACCINATED NURSE GIVING VACCINATION TO OLD MAN (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) NURSE, HOUDA ARAFA, SAYING: "Vaccination in youth centres anywhere is usually better and easier for the citizens, because people there are fewer and people are not worried about going to hospitals (in fear of possible infection). This is a very normal youth centre and they get vaccinated just like in health centres." EMPLOYEE WORKING ON LAPTOP TO REGISTER PEOPLE WHO GET VACCINATED ARAFA GIVING VACCINE TO CITIZEN (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) TOUR GUIDE, NABIL SEDHOM, SAYING: "This is an excellent step as I heard the minister of health announcing that those whose turn is late or those who did not register can go to any youth centre and simply give their ID number and people would get the vaccine. This is very good and it helps people avoid lengthy procedures, especially for people in my field who work in tourism. If someone wants to get vaccinated to go to work, this is something urgent, so it is good for us in order to be able to go to work easily." PEOPLE AND NURSES AT CLINIC ARAFA GIVING VACCINE TO CITIZEN EMPLOYEES TALKING TO CITIZENS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MANAGER OF ROUD AL-FARAG YOUTH CENTRE, AYMAN MOHAMMED, SAYING: "When people know they can come to register and take the vaccination immediately, this increases turnout and it helps to vaccinate as much people as possible." SIGN READING (Arabic): "ROUD AL-FARAG YOUTH CENTRE"
- Embargoed: 13th October 2021 09:06
- Keywords: COVID-19 Coronavirus Egypt Registration Vaccines
- Location: CAIRO, EGYPT
- City: CAIRO, EGYPT
- Country: Egypt
- Topics: Health/Medicine,Middle East
- Reuters ID: LVA001EWRVAZB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Egypt is now providing immediate COVID-19 vaccinations at youth centres across the country without prior online registration, a step aimed at encouraging vaccinations and relieving pressure on hospitals and health units amid a fourth wave of infections.
Nearly 270 youth centres are now open for citizens to get the vaccines, the health ministry said, bringing the total number of vaccination sites across the country to 1,100.
The move is part of the "Together We Are Assured" campaign, launched by the health ministry in mid-September, that allows citizens to register and receive vaccinations immediately after complaints of a large time difference between the two steps.
Egypt said in August that it plans to vaccinate all 4.5 million of its state employees against COVID-19 in two months.
As part of the programme, all workers in pre-university education, university employees and university students - a total of more than 5 million people - will be vaccinated before the start of the academic year in October.
Youth centres also started to receive university students seeking vaccination on Monday, the health ministry said.
The country has received vaccines produced by AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Sinovac, Sputnik, and Johnson & Johnson, and is expecting to receive shots made by Pfizer and Moderna.
It has also startred producing Sinovac's vaccine locally.
So far, 11 million people in the country of more than 100 million have been given one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, while more than 5 million have been given two doses, health minister Hala Zayed said on Saturday.
Egypt has recorded 302,327 COVID-19 infections as of Monday, including 17,224 deaths.
However, officials and experts say the real number of infections is far higher but is not reflected in government figures because of low coronavirus testing rates and the exclusion of private test results.
The health ministry expects the peak of the fourth wave of infections in October.
(Production: Ahmed Fahmy, Mai Shams El-Din) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
