Iran’s first homegrown vaccine awaits green light for mass immunization

Iran's first domestically produced vaccine, COV-Iran Barakat, is awaiting the Health Ministry's authorization to be used in a mass immunization program following the third successful clinical trial.

According to Press TV, Kianush Jahanpur, Head of the Ministry’s Public Relations and Information Center, in a tweet on Monday, said the good news is “on the way”, referring to the first Iranian-made vaccine.

Developed by researchers at the Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam, COV-Iran Barakat vaccine was unveiled on December 29 last year, while production began on March 29.

The third phase of the vaccine’s clinical trial began in late April, conducted in six cities with a population of 20,000 or above, among people in the age group of 18 to 70 years.

On Sunday, head of COV-Iran Barakat vaccine research group Hassan Jalili announced that one million doses of the vaccine will be produced this month, which will be delivered to the Health Ministry.

The scale of production will increase to 3 million doses next month, followed by 10 to 12 million doses by July, and 13 to 15 million doses by August, according to officials.

Senior member of Iran’s National Task force for Fighting COVID-19, Minoo Mohraz, on Sunday said the COV-Iran Barakat vaccine is “efficient beyond expectations.”

“COV-Iran Barakat vaccine is effective and immune, and we hope that our vaccine would have the highest percentage of efficiency and immunity,” she told reporters.

She said Iran no longer needs to import COVID-19 vaccines once the mass production of the domestically-produced vaccine begins, saying public vaccination with COV-Iran Barakat is likely to start mid-June.

Soberana-02 vaccine, jointly developed by Iran and Cuba, is also on the verge of completing its third clinical trial and slated for industrial-scale production.

ME