Iranian Firm Ready to Produce COVID-19 Vaccine for Public Rollout
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Barakat Foundation of Iran expressed readiness to produce enough doses of vaccine for the coronavirus for domestic consumption before the current Iranian year ends on March 20.
The Barakat Foundation has announced that the first stage of human trials with the homegrown vaccine has produced promising results, saying the second and third phases of clinical trials could be carried out simultaneously upon permission from the Health Ministry.
It also voiced readiness to supply the coronavirus vaccine for public vaccination programs before the end of the current Iranian year on March 20.
The foundation noted that three companies in Lebanon, Syria and Venezuela are also willing to purchase the Iranian vaccine.
Last week, the chairman of the Headquarters for Executing the Order of Imam Khomeini, the institution that has developed the first Iranian vaccine for COVID-19, said the homegrown vaccine is one hundred percent effective against the mutated variant of coronavirus found in the UK.
Earlier in February, the Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute unveiled the second Iranian vaccine for the coronavirus, administered via injection or inhalation.
Cov-Pars is a vaccine based on recombinant protein that can be injected or inhaled.
In comments at the unveiling ceremony, Health Minister Saeed Namaki said Iran is going to become a main hub of vaccine production in the world in the coming months.
Officials say Iran will receive around 16 million doses of vaccines through the World Health Organization's COVAX program, import more than 25 million doses from abroad, and produce 25 million other doses inside the country.