MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th February, 2021) Iran plans to produce 14 million doses of a domestic vaccine against the coronavirus by summer, Mohammad Mokhber, the director of Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order (EIKO), said on Tuesday.
"We will put into operation the country's biggest vaccine production line in spring ... We will produce 2-3 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccines in the first phase before the current [Iranian] year ends [on March 20] ... The second phase will focus on the production of 12-14 million doses before the summer," Mokhber said, as quoted by the Mehr news agency.
According to the official, five countries are seeking to procure Iranian vaccines. However, the priority task is to meet the domestic needs in the vaccines.
Earlier in the day, Iran embarked on a coronavirus immunization campaign with the rollout of the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine. Intensive care workers, followed by senior citizens and people with chronic health conditions, will be the first in line to receive the vaccine. The first batch of the Russia-made vaccine against the coronavirus arrived in Iran last week. Iran is also considering the possibility of producing the coronavirus vaccine jointly with Russia for export to the Persian Gulf countries.
EIKO, jointly with Barekat pharma group, is engaged in the development of the Coviran vaccine. In addition, Iran is developing other vaccines against coronavirus, including one jointly with Cuba.
