Iran is co-producing a COVID-19 vaccine with a Cuban company, Spokesperson for the Iran Food and Drug Administration (IFDA) at the Health Ministry Kianoush Jahanpour revealed Friday, while denying that the first batch of vaccine purchased from abroad had reached the country.
“There are four different ways to supply the coronavirus vaccine, including direct purchase from a foreign country, procurement from the World Health Organization’ COVAX facility, a joint production with a Cuban company as well as domestic producing of the vaccine,” the spokesperson said.
He explained that the human trial phase of the vaccine has been carried out successfully in Cuba.
“The second phase of the human trial is being conducted under the supervision of the Pasteur Institute of Iran in Cuba. Provided that the second phase is successful, the third phase will be implemented in mid-March in Iran,” Jahanpour said.
Meanwhile, the Jamaran website published photos of Iranians protesting near the Health Ministry the purchase of foreign-made vaccines.
One protester wrote on a sign, “No to local-made vaccines, No to foreign-made vaccines.”
The website said the protest coincided with the announcement of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's chief of staff Mahmoud Vaezi that an agreement was reached with China, India and Russia for buying 20 million vaccine doses.
Coordinating Deputy Commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Brigadier-General Mohammdreza Naghdi said companies producing COVID-19 vaccines believe that the world is over-populated and there is evidence that they want to reduce the world population by 20 percent.
“There is evidence that these companies have manipulated the vaccine itself and contaminated it. How can one trust them in such circumstances?" Naghdi asked.
Spokeswoman for the Iranian Ministry of Health Sima Sadat Lari said the country recorded 6,286 daily coronavirus cases on Friday, raising the total infections to 1,231,429.
