He lamented that foreign medical equipment eventually enters the country with difficulty and sabotage of the enemy.
Shanehsaz explained that the influenza vaccine was planned to hit the market this year but due to the difficulties created by the enemy it will enter the market next year.
There are many problems in the supply and transfer of foreign currency needed for the imports of medicine, he added.
Shanehsaz reiterated that Iran produces 97 percent of its required medicine domestically.
In February, an Iranian knowledge-based company gained the technical know-how to synthesize and mass-produce a flu vaccine after 10 years.
Officials say the homegrown flu vaccine is comparable in quality to the foreign ones, will be available at much lower costs, and has been fully produced with Iranian raw materials.
According to Iranian health officials, the country has achieved significant capabilities in producing medicine, its formulation, pharmaceutical knowledge, and even the supply of domestic raw materials.
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