BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 15
Trend:
The implementer of the clinical study of the Iranian-made COVID-19 vaccine announced the readiness of several countries to participate in the next phases of research on the first Iranian coronavirus vaccine.
“At least 2 to 3 countries announced readiness to conduct the next phases of Iran-Made Covid-19 vaccine as part of their vaccination,” Mohammadreza Salehi, the implementer of the clinical study of the Iranian-made COVID-19 vaccine said, Trend reports citing IRNA.
"If the necessary infrastructure is provided for mass production, it is very likely that we will be able to help vaccinate other countries,” he added.
He went on to anticipate that COV-Iran Barekat vaccine will be ready to general vaccination in late spring.
Salehi noted that some of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies have not yet completed the third phase of their clinical study on the Covid-19 vaccine, but the World Health Organization and national and international health care organizations have issued them the vaccination license.
“Iranian researchers are also preparing for the second phase of the coronavirus vaccine clinical trial on COV-Iran Barakat vaccine. In late March, we will provide the results of the analysis to the Ministry of Health,” he said.
Iran’s first vaccine, COVIran Barekat, completed its first phase of human trials that saw the vaccine administered to 56 volunteers, including a number of officials.
Meanwhile, the first shipment of 10,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine arrived in Iran last week just more than one week after Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, announced in Moscow that the vaccine has been approved for emergency use in Iran.
Sputnik V, whose purchase has sparked a vaccine debate in Iran, is said to be 91.6 percent effective in peer-reviewed results published last week.
The first doses of the vaccine are slated to be given to front-line health care professionals who work in intensive care units in Iranian hospitals on Tuesday, one day before the 42nd anniversary of the birth of Iran’s current ruling establishment.