Acting Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar met in Cairo with Parag Deshmukh — the Executive Director of International Marketing at the Serum Institute of India — and Sandeep Molay — the Regional Director of the Institute — to follow up on a previously signed agreement regarding vaccine manufacturing.

The agreement that was signed between the Serum Institute of India and the Egyptian Holding Company for Biological Products and Vaccines (VACSERA) stipulated the transferal of technology for manufacturing eight strategic vaccines, the ministry said on Sunday.

During the meeting, the minister stressed the need to implement the agreement in accordance with the timetables set for it in order to serve the state’s strategy to become a regional centre for manufacturing vaccines, achieving self-sufficiency in them, and exporting them to neighbouring countries and Africa.

Hossam Abdel Ghaffar — Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population — pointed out the minister’s emphasis on the importance of cooperation between the Indian institute and VACSERA for the transfer and exchange of experiences in order to ensure keeping pace with developments in the field of vaccine manufacturing, as the Indian institute is one of the largest manufacturers of vaccines in the world.

The spokesperson explained that the agreement was signed in July of 2019 with the aim of manufacturing vaccines treating quintuples, hepatitis B for infants, hepatitis B for adults, two-schools, triples, tetanus, MMR, and MR.

He also referred to the minister’s directive to add the pneumococcal vaccine in children to the agreed-upon list, stressing the ability and readiness of the factories of VACSERA to produce all types of vaccines.