COVID-19: UAE-China vaccine trial expands to Egypt

The UAE is expanding the Phase III trials of its COVID-19 inactivated vaccine to Egypt, where a new centre has opened to receive volunteers.

According to Abu Dhabi Media Office, 6,000 people are set to participate in the trials in Egypt, which is the fourth Arab country to join the programme after the UAE, Bahrain and Jordan.

Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population will manage the trials in collaboration with G42 Healthcare and China's Sinopharm CNBG.

They will follow the same clinical protocol established by the 4Humanity programme.

The extension comes following the successful launch of the trials in the UAE on July 16.

More than 31,000 volunteers from 125 nationalities have been vaccinated in the UAE so far, representing double the required number of participants.

Earlier this week, the UAE government approved emergency use of the vaccine for frontline workers.

As part of ongoing efforts to expand the reach of the Phase III clinical trials of the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine, a new centre #4Humanity was launched in Egypt, making it the fourth Arab country to participate in these trials following the UAE, Bahrain and Jordan. pic.twitter.com/wkc389Unvw

— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@ADMediaOffice) September 17, 2020