Iran’s President: Efforts Underway to Buy Vaccine despite Lingering Obstacles
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said his administration has been supplying foreign currency to purchase and import the coronavirus vaccine although the sanctions have impeded financial transactions.
The administration is determined to cope with the demand for the COVID-19 vaccine in spite of all problems that have hindered the supply and transaction of currency, Rouhani said at a meeting of the Coronavirus Fight National Headquarters on Saturday.
“It is correct that the Vienna negotiations have made good progress, but we are still under sanctions and the previous obstacles are still ahead of us,” the president added.
He said the Iranian administration has supplied the necessary foreign currency despite all of the problems and is transferring money as shipments of vaccine are being imported.
Rouhani also assured people that the purchase of foreign vaccine and development of the homegrown ones are fully supported by the administration.
The top priorities are to save the lives of people, cut off the chain of transmission of the disease, improve the livelihood and support the education programs for students, the president added.
Iran is working on at least four homegrown vaccines for COVID-19, one of which has undergone the third phase of clinical trials and is expected to be mass produced within the next couple of weeks.
The country has also imported several consignments of vaccine from abroad, including seven shipments of Sputnik V vaccine from Russia.
Nearly 900,000 Iranians, mainly the health society personnel, have received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine so far.