“Over 100,000 people have so far volunteered to participate in the human trial of COV-Iran Barekat vaccine,” Reza Mazhari said.
“After the registration process, our experts will contact the volunteers and inform them of the time and place of the initial tests,” he added, noting that PCR and blood tests will be taken from them and they will be contacted again if the initial tests are ok.
Also, Hamed Hosseini, the head of COV-Iran vaccine’s human trials team, said on Monday that given the astonishing success of the vaccine in the previous two phases and its safety approvals by legal authorities, mass production of the vaccine has begun and one million doses of COV-Iran vaccine will be delivered to the health ministry in the next few days.
In relevant remarks last Tuesday, Head of the Headquarters for Executing the Order of Imam Khomeini Mohammad Mokhber announced that HEIKO will deliver 1mln doses of COV-Iran vaccine to the health ministry soon.
“We will deliver one million (doses) of the vaccine to the Health Ministry by May 21, 3 to 4 million doses in June, 10 to 12 million doses in July, 20 million doses in August and we will deliver at least 30mln doses of coronavirus vaccine to the health ministry in September,” Mokhber said, addressing a ceremony to unveil the first group of mass-produced COV-Iran vaccine.
Yet, he reminded that it will be the health ministry that will decide and declare the timetable for starting the public vaccination with HEIKO's COVID-19 vaccine, COV-Iran Barekat.
“Phases one and two of the human trial of COV-Iran Barekat vaccine have been successfully completed and its safety has been officially confirmed, and the third phase of clinical studies is underway in 6 cities of Iran,” he added.
Also, addressing the ceremony, Deputy Health Minister and Head of Iran Food and Drug Administration (IFDA) Mohammad Reza Shanehsaz stated that “the country will have the capacity for production of 197 million doses of coronavirus vaccine by April next year”, describing it as a miracle created by the Iranian scientists and experts.
Also on Tuesday, Senior member of Iran’s National Task Force for Fighting COVID-19 Minou Mohraz said that the coronavirus vaccine, COV-Iran, gives immunity to receivers.
“The (COV-Iran) vaccine will be presented to the market soon and it enjoys necessary factors considering effectiveness and immunity,” said Mohraz, also a senior member of the team to assess the efficiency of the Iran-made vaccine.
She added that by mass-production of COV-Iran vaccine, the country will no more need imports.
The first industrial production line for the domestically-developed vaccine was launched on Tuesday with a capacity to produce 3 million doses a month, Mazhari 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," 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.