TEHRAN, Mar. 10 (MNA) – Spokesman of Iran's Food and Drug Administration Kianoush Jahanpour announced that Iran has granted emergency use authorization Chinese COVID-19 vaccine Sinopharm.

"Emergency licenses for the Sinofarm vaccine have already been issued in at least 33 countries around the world," he said.

In late January, ran has granted emergency use authorization to Sputnik V, a coronavirus vaccine made by Russia’s Gamaleya Center.

Iran received the first consignment of the Chinese COVID-19 vaccine Sinopharm in late February.

The cargo of 250,000 doses of the vaccine, donated by China, was handed over to the Health Ministry, officials said.

It is worth noting that Iran is simultaneously developing its home-grown vaccines such as  Razi COV-Pars.

Two vaccines manufactured by domestic knowledge-based firms have already passed the human trial phase, expected to be ready by summer.

The country, which reported its first cases of the virus in February last year, has so far recorded over 1.7 million cases.

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