Algeria produces first home-grown COVID vaccine

Algeria's first home-produced coronavirus vaccines came off the production line on Wednesday in the eastern city of Constantine.

Know-how and some of the vaccine's basic ingredients have come as part of a cooperation deal with the Chinese biopharmaceutical firm Sinovac. The "CoronaVac" vaccines are being made at the Saidal factory in Constantine, 400 kilometres east of capital Algiers. 

The aim is to produce 65 million doses by the end of 2022. The country has been able to vaccinate around 10% of adults so far against COVID-19. It has been using vaccines coming from Russia, China and received through the COVAX facility.