Iran Receives First Batch of Sputnik V
TEHRAN (Dispatches) -- A first batch of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine arrived Thursday in Iran, the country which has seen its fight against Covid-19 hindered by inhuman U.S. sanctions.
The shipment consists of 500,000 doses of Russian-made Sputnik V vaccines which arrived at Tehran’s Imam Khomeieni International Airport from Moscow.
The second and third deliveries of the vaccine are due to be sent to Tehran on February 18 and 28, IRNA quoted Kazem Jalali, Iran’s ambassador to Moscow, as saying. He said Iran has ordered 5 million doses from Russia.
The Islamic Republic is fighting the outbreak of the coronavirus, with over 58,000 lives lost out of more than 1.4 million cases of infection.
Head of Iran’s Food and Drug Administration Muhammad Reza Shanehsaz said the arrival of the Sputnik-V vaccine shipment showed the beginning of the implementation of a deal between Tehran and Moscow on the purchase of the vaccine.
The official said the next shipments will be delivered to Iran "very soon.”
He explained that other reliable and authorized vaccines have been identified by Iranian experts and that the purchase of vaccines from companies in India and China is on the agenda.
"Also, we are trying to co-produce this vaccine with Cubans,” he said.
Russia registered the Sputnik V jab -- named after the Soviet-era satellite -- in August last year. An analysis of clinical trials in topic medical journal the Lancet published this week indicated an efficacy of 91.6 percent against symptomatic cases of Covid-19.
Several countries beyond Russia have begun administering Sputnik V, including Argentina.
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said this week that the country hoped to begin its vaccination campaign sometime around February 18.
German Health Minister Jens Spahn said Wednesday talks were ongoing with Russia to explore production capacities for the Sputnik jab in Germany or elsewhere in Europe.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has advised against the imports of COVID-19 vaccines from the United States and Britain amid fears that they might be trying to spread the disease, but the Iranian government can supply the vaccine from other reliable sources.
Iran is also planning to import some 17 million doses of vaccine from COVAX and millions from other countries. But the country is struggling to transfer some $220 million held in South Korean banks to pay for the COVID-19 vaccines through COVAX, an international program designed to distribute coronavirus vaccines to participating countries.
Iran’s Health Minister Saeed Namaki said on Wednesday that AstraZeneca would provide the country with 4.2 million doses of its vaccine.
"AstraZeneca is produced in Russia, India and South Korea, and Iran uses these anti-coronavirus products,” health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour told AFP.
Iran started clinical trials of its own vaccine in late December and said it expects to distribute it in spring.
The shipment consists of 500,000 doses of Russian-made Sputnik V vaccines which arrived at Tehran’s Imam Khomeieni International Airport from Moscow.
The second and third deliveries of the vaccine are due to be sent to Tehran on February 18 and 28, IRNA quoted Kazem Jalali, Iran’s ambassador to Moscow, as saying. He said Iran has ordered 5 million doses from Russia.
The Islamic Republic is fighting the outbreak of the coronavirus, with over 58,000 lives lost out of more than 1.4 million cases of infection.
Head of Iran’s Food and Drug Administration Muhammad Reza Shanehsaz said the arrival of the Sputnik-V vaccine shipment showed the beginning of the implementation of a deal between Tehran and Moscow on the purchase of the vaccine.
The official said the next shipments will be delivered to Iran "very soon.”
He explained that other reliable and authorized vaccines have been identified by Iranian experts and that the purchase of vaccines from companies in India and China is on the agenda.
"Also, we are trying to co-produce this vaccine with Cubans,” he said.
Russia registered the Sputnik V jab -- named after the Soviet-era satellite -- in August last year. An analysis of clinical trials in topic medical journal the Lancet published this week indicated an efficacy of 91.6 percent against symptomatic cases of Covid-19.
Several countries beyond Russia have begun administering Sputnik V, including Argentina.
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said this week that the country hoped to begin its vaccination campaign sometime around February 18.
German Health Minister Jens Spahn said Wednesday talks were ongoing with Russia to explore production capacities for the Sputnik jab in Germany or elsewhere in Europe.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has advised against the imports of COVID-19 vaccines from the United States and Britain amid fears that they might be trying to spread the disease, but the Iranian government can supply the vaccine from other reliable sources.
Iran is also planning to import some 17 million doses of vaccine from COVAX and millions from other countries. But the country is struggling to transfer some $220 million held in South Korean banks to pay for the COVID-19 vaccines through COVAX, an international program designed to distribute coronavirus vaccines to participating countries.
Iran’s Health Minister Saeed Namaki said on Wednesday that AstraZeneca would provide the country with 4.2 million doses of its vaccine.
"AstraZeneca is produced in Russia, India and South Korea, and Iran uses these anti-coronavirus products,” health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour told AFP.
Iran started clinical trials of its own vaccine in late December and said it expects to distribute it in spring.