TEHRAN – Iran is one of the few countries that has all vaccine production platforms, Mohammad Reza Shanehsaz, head of the Iranian Food and Drug Administration, has stated.

With the efforts of local experts, the 20-year path of vaccine development was completed in a few months, he highlighted.

In the field of vaccine production, great and unique steps were taken by the pharmaceutical industry, he noted, ISNA reported on Sunday.

The reason why some countries got vaccinated earlier than us is because of their experience on the development of SARS and MERS vaccines, otherwise, our speed would have been much faster than other countries, he explained.

Mass vaccination against COVID-19 started on Iranian citizens with the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine on February 9.

While Iran continues efforts to mass-produce local candidates, several foreign vaccines have already been imported and others are expected soon.

Iran is also producing vaccines jointly with three countries of Cuba, Russia, and Australia, which may also be released by September.

Eleven countries from Asia and South America, and a European country have asked for importing Iranian-made coronavirus vaccine (COVIRAN BAREKAT), Hassan Jalili, the vaccine’s production manager, has said.

Christoph Hamelmann, the former representative of the World Health Organization in Iran, said in March that Iran has one of the most successful platforms in the world for COVID-19 vaccine production.

"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.

FB/MG