Iranian Covid-19 vaccine platform among world’s most successful: WHO

March 1, 2021 - 17:0

TEHRAN – Iran has one of the most successful platforms in the world for Covid-19 vaccine production, Christoph Hamelmann, the representative of the World Health Organization in Iran, said.

"Considering the production line of the Pasteur vaccine, Iran is very advanced and successful in developing a vaccine while being able to help other countries, I am sure that Iran’s vaccine production platform is one of the most successful ones in the region," he said.

Iran is a special model in the primary healthcare system and using healthcare providers (called Behvarz), who are the connection between the physical health system, the facilities, people, and families who refer to it, he stated.

“Although about 70 percent of the population lives in cities, the same PHC network and quality services are available in rural areas. During the pandemic, we measured the capabilities and potentials of the network system in densely populated areas, and now we know where the system should be strengthened.”

Hamelmann further expressed appreciation for the medical staff efforts, and highlighted that in the light of the pandemic, the importance of the front-line forces of the health system became more apparent, IRNA reported.

During a recent visit of Ahmed Al-Mandhari WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean to Iran, he was impressed by the preventive efforts and such an active database.

Iran started mass vaccination with Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine, with the priority given to medical staff, the elderly, and people with underlying diseases; and is also going to be co-produced by the two countries.

While, the second Iranian coronavirus vaccine, Razi Cov Pars, started the clinical trial by injecting it into two volunteers during a ceremony on Sunday.

COVIRAN BAREKAT, the first coronavirus vaccine made by Iranian researchers of the Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam, was unveiled and injected into three volunteers during a ceremony on December 29, 2020; which will soon start the second phase of the clinical trial.

Importing vaccine from COVAX, a global initiative to ensure rapid and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, is also on the agenda.

On January 27, Health Minister Saeed Namaki said that there are four different ways to supply the coronavirus vaccine, including direct purchase from a foreign country, procurement from the World Health Organization’s COVAX facility, a joint production with a Cuban company as well as domestic production of the vaccine.

He emphasized that Iran will soon be one of the world’s important manufacturers of the COVID-19 vaccine.

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