Morocco Receives Full Documentation on Sinopharm Covid-19 Vaccine for Approval

This authorization for marketing is considered as a "birth certificate" for the vaccine in Morocco, issued by the national laboratory for drug control, reports the daily Al Ahdath Al Maghribia. All aspects of the vaccine will be scrutinized: its scientific development, its efficiency, its side effects.

The Chinese Sinopharm vaccine, according to the sources of the newspaper, is 86% effective, with a seroconversion rate of 99% for neutralizing antibodies and an effectiveness of 100% in preventing severe and moderate cases of the disease. The studies did not show any serious safety concerns. It is after this step that the import process will be launched. According to the Minister of Health, Khalid Ait Taleb, Morocco will receive 17 million doses of vaccine, including 10 million doses of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine and 7 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, before the end of the year.

This first batch will allow the vaccination of 8.5 million citizens, pending other deliveries to continue the vaccination campaign, which aims to reach more than 80% of the Moroccan population to achieve collective immunity. While no serious adverse effects have been observed so far, the publication nevertheless mentions as side effects, pain, a rash, a little fatigue.

The vaccination campaign will have to cover citizens over the age of 18, according to a vaccination schedule in two injections. Priority will be given in particular to frontline personnel, namely health personnel, public authorities, security forces and education personnel, as well as the elderly and vulnerable people. It is only afterwards that the operation will be extended to the rest of the population.