Kianoush Jahanpour, the spokesman of the Iran Food and Drug Administration (IFDA), said that the country will purchase vaccines from a foreign country and will also participate in the World Health Organization's COVAX program.
Jahanpour said besides the purchase, the Pasteur Institute of Iran is going to produce the COVID-19 vaccine in joint cooperation with a Cuban company.
He added that the human trial phase of the vaccine has been carried out successfully in Cuba.
“The second phase of the human trial is being conducted under the supervision of the Pasteur Institute of Iran in Cuba. Provided that the second phase is successful, the third phase will be implemented in Iran.”
The human trials of a COVID-19 vaccine produced by Iranian researchers started with the injection on 56 volunteers in Iran on Dec. 29, 2020.
The next trial phase of the vaccine would be 28 days later "if everything goes well," Deputy of Iran's Health Minister Alireza Raisi said.
If the vaccine goes through all stages, it would be reliable, he said, adding that Iran can mass-produce its own vaccine in the spring.
Reportedly, the production line of the Iranian coronavirus vaccine with a capacity of 1.5 million doses per month will be launched within the next 40 days. By the next six months, vaccine production will reach up to 12 million doses per month.
According to an official with the Ministry of Health, 16 Iranian knowledge-based companies are working on all types of vaccine platforms. One company is active in producing DNA-based vaccines, and about three others are working to make mRNA-based vaccines.
MR/5109420
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