TEHRAN – The second phase of the Fakhra vaccine’s human trial started on Wednesday by being administrated to 500 volunteers.

Fakhra vaccine, the third domestically-developed COVID-19 vaccine, named after nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was assassinated in November last year near Tehran, was unveiled and started the clinical trial on March 16.

Through the first phase, some 135 people have received the vaccine, project manager Ahmad Karimi said on Wednesday.

Through the second phase, 500 people will be selected to perform the human trial, he added.

After obtaining the necessary permits from the Ministry of Health, we will inject 30,000 doses of the vaccine through the third phase of the human trial, he said.

Vaccination to end by late November

President Hassan Rouhani said in May that If the volume of COVID-19 vaccine required by the country is provided, the vaccination of people with underlying diseases will be completed by late July, and the whole population will be vaccinated by late November.

To vaccinate people with underlying diseases, about 14-15 million doses of vaccine is required, while we now have 5 million doses, so another 10 million must be provided to complete the process by the end of July, then we will continue the process with foreign and domestic vaccines, he explained.

He expressed hope to start vaccination of the whole population by the end of the summer (September 23), noting that given the country's ability of vaccine administration, vaccinating 500,000 people in 24 hours, the entire population can receive the vaccine within three to four months.

Homegrown vaccines

COVIRAN BAREKAT, the first coronavirus vaccine made by researchers at the Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam, will complete the third phase of the human trial by late June.

The vaccine was unveiled on December 29, 2020, and started to be mass-produced on March 29.

The second Iranian-made vaccine developed by the Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute (Razi Cov Pars) to be administered among the population in early August; which started the clinical trial on February 27, entered the second phase of the human trial on Friday.

 “Osvid-19”, the fourth domestic vaccine produced by Osvah Pharmaceutical Company is also undergoing human trials, which will also be available in early September.

On May 24, the first coronavirus vaccine made by the private sector in Iran succeeded in receiving the code of ethics and entered the phase of clinical studies.

FB/MG