TEHRAN – The Iranian deputy health minister has warned the World Health Organization of a ‘vaccine apartheid’ which ‘can be a threat to the global health’.

Alireza Raisi made the remarks in a meeting with Jaffar Hussain, WHO Representative & Head of Mission to Iran, saying that the world can become immune just through public vaccination, IRNA reported on Tuesday.

“This is very dangerous that it is announced that visas are issued only if the holders are vaccinated using certain brands, namely Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson.”

The vaccine apartheid, which is being promoted by some countries, will only be in favor of a few manufacturers, Raisi added.

He asked the WHO representative to inform senior directors of the organization of such issues and launch campaigns against vaccine apartheid.

COVID-19 has created the biggest “apartheid of the century” and a full-scale war for survival. When the vaccine monopoly took public health into the valley of politics, Iran managed to achieve a glorious victory in the production of vaccines, medicine, and medical equipment.

With the outbreak of coronavirus, the competition began in different countries for vaccine production to survive and, of course, for commercial purposes. Accordingly, with the results of studies and the introduction of vaccines, this time, regardless of the usual interactions in the sale and purchase of medical and health-oriented products, countries were forced to negotiate with a small number of vaccine manufacturers.

In the meantime, even before the vaccines were approved, several rich countries pre-purchased far beyond their needs. According to the country's health officials, more than 80 percent of the world's vaccines have been received by six countries, and a country like the United States and one of the European countries has 200 million doses of the vaccine expiring.

During his January 8 speech, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei praised the Iranian-developed COVID-19 vaccine as “a source of pride,” underlining that no one should deny the breakthrough.

MG