The Egyptian government said on Wednesday that it had reached a deal on the supply of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V to the country.

“An agreement was reached with the supplier company for doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. Deliveries will be carried out sequentially until the end of the year. Also, a vaccine supply agreement was reached with Johnson & Johnson,” the government said in a statement.

In late April, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Egypt’s drugmaker Minapharm agreed to produce over 40 million doses of Sputnik V per year, with production set to start in the third quarter of 2021.

Russia’s Sputnik V is the world’s first registered coronavirus vaccine. It has been authorised for emergency use in 66 countries with a total population of over 3.2 billion people. The efficacy of the drug stands at 97.6%, based on the latest analysis of data from 3.8 million vaccinated Russians.