TEHRAN – A combined vaccine against respiratory diseases (including corona and influenza) is being developed by the Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, the director of research and development of the Institute has said.

The first phase of the animal trial has so far been completed and the second phase is being conducted, ISNA quoted Seyed Reza Bani-Hashemi as saying on Saturday.

Pointing out that it was planned to produce vaccines effective against infections that occur in the upper respiratory tract, he explained that it was first investigated what diseases enter the respiratory system from the nose in order to create a combined vaccine, including corona, influenza, RSV, which is a virus that causes cold-like diseases.

The necessary investigations and studies were conducted at the Razi Institute and we realized that if we can examine three of these four types of viruses and produce a combined injection and inhalation vaccine, it will be very effective, he said.

He went on to note that the preliminary research of this combined vaccine is being done. However, the research on the two diseases of influenza and corona is over.

Although it cannot be mass-produced as early as the COVID vaccine, and it takes about 4 to 5 years to be developed and available to the public, he further stated.

The industrial production line that was created at the Razi Vaccine Research and Serum Institute for the COVID vaccine can be used to produce other vaccines as well. Therefore, we are ahead in terms of industrial production, and fortunately, we were able to complete the recombinant vaccine production line, he explained.

Therefore, there is no problem with industrialization, but advancing the animal and human study phases requires a lot of money and effort, he added.

Currently, the combined vaccine used in the market is the influenza-corona vaccine produced by Moderna and Pfizer. At the same time, combined vaccines are among the vaccines that the world is working on, and Iran is among them, he highlighted.

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