TEHRAN – The third phase of the Fakhra vaccine’s human trial started on Monday by being administrated to 40,000 volunteers, IRIB reported.

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, but the second phase was conducted on 500 people.

The third phase will be completed after three months, and soon will receive the emergency use permit from the Food and Drug Administration, so that it will join vaccination rollout by November.

Mohammad Reza Qaraei Ashtiani, Minister of Defense, said that the production capacity of Fakhra vaccine will reach five million doses per month in the fall (starting September 23), and we will deliver 20 million doses of the vaccine to the Ministry of Health by the end of the year (March 2022).

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, over 18 million doses of foreign vaccines have already been imported and others are expected soon.

Iran is also producing vaccines jointly with two countries of Cuba and Russia.

Homegrown vaccines

Made by researchers at the Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam, COVIRAN BAREKAT was unveiled on December 29, 2020, and received the license for public use on June 14.

It proved effective against Indian strain, according to Hojjat Niki-Maleki, head of the information center of Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam.

Eleven countries from Asia and South America, and a European country have asked for importing COVIRAN vaccine, Hassan Jalili, the vaccine’s production manager, said in June.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, 14 vaccines are being domestically developed in the country which are in different study phases.

Pastu Covac, developed jointly by the Pasteur Institute of Iran and Cuba's Finlay Vaccine Institute, is another homegrown vaccine, which has received the emergency use license, after COVIRAN.

FB/MG