ECONOMY

CoronaVac vaccine to be exported to African countries by 2023

CONSTANTINE (Algeria)- The Covid vaccine that Algeria started producing today will be exported to African countries by 2030, Minister of Pharmaceutical Industry Abderrahmane Djamel Lotfi Benbahmed said Wednesday in Constantine.

In an address at the ceremony marking the launch of the vaccine production, held at the Marriott Hotel, as part of the working visit of the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, in Constantine, the minister said that the ambitious production capacities of the Constantine's unit will allow Algeria to meet the export needs under the "Africa-Vac" initiative.

In this regard, he reported a production of 5.3 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine in January, at a rate of 320,000 doses per day.

According to Benbahmed, "this production rate will make it possible to meet the national needs, estimated at 65 million doses," then move "to exports to satisfy the needs of neighbouring countries."

"Production capacity in 2022 is expected to reach a total of 96 million vaccine doses, and eight million doses per month, thanks to the human and industrial capacities of Saida Group."

The minister noted that a shift work system will allow the production of 200 million doses of vaccines per year by 2023."