The first industrial production line for the domestically-developed vaccine was launched on Tuesday with a capacity to produce 3 million doses a month, a medical official announced.
"Mass production of the vaccine would start as soon as the results of the third clinical test for the vaccine are confirmed by the Health Ministry," the official in charge of COV-Iran Barekat COVID-19 vaccine project Reza Mazhari said.
He also said that the second production line for the vaccine with the capacity to produce up to 17 million doses in a month is under construction and would be launched within next two months.
"Public vaccination with COV-Iran Barekat is going to start in mid-June after clinical results are confirmed," Mazhari added.
COV-Iran Barekat coronavirus vaccine has been developed by Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order organization.
In relevant remarks last week, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the US obstructionism has hindered delivery of medicine and medical equipment to Iran, adding that COV-Pasteur and Barekat coronavirus vaccines will be given to the public in mid-May and mid-June, respectively.
“Although the US cruel sanctions had made it impossible for Iran to do bank dealings and import medicine and medical equipment,” Rouhani said, adding, “Iranian researchers and scientists, with the help of God, succeeded to attain great achievements… and we will hopefully operationalize COV-Pasteur vaccine in mid-May and Barekat vaccine in mid-June.”
He expressed hope that the purchased vaccines will enter the country within a month in a bid to accelerate vaccination of the risky groups like medical staff and elderly people.
In relevant remarks on May 1, senior member of Iran’s National Task Force for Fighting COVID-19 Minou Mohraz said that the coronavirus vaccine, COV-Iran, which has been developed by the Iranian scientists at the Headquarters for Executing the Order of Imam Khomeini (HEIKO) has shown no side effects.
“Fortunately, I have had no side effects to date. Meantime, 330 volunteers who have received the vaccine have not had any side effects either so far,” said Mohraz, who has earlier received the COV-Iran vaccine.
“The vaccine is effective against the British virus, but we are still not sure if it is effective against the Coronavirus mutations in South Africa and India,” she added.
Mohraz, also a senior member of the team to assess the efficiency of the Iran-made vaccine, said that nearly 30 million doses of the vaccine will be delivered by the HEIKO to the health ministry by mid-Summer.
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