Official: Iran-Made Coronavirus Vaccine Nearly 90% Effective
“If everything goes well and once the human trial phases are accomplished, mass-production of the coronavirus vaccine will take about four to five months before it is supplied to the public,” Jalili said in an interview with the Persian-language Jam-e Jam newspaper on Monday.
“Domestically-produced vaccines have common platforms with vaccines from other countries that have entered the human trial phase. Similar statistical data and numerical platforms tested in other countries show that the vaccine is up to 90% efficient in bringing about immunity to the coronavirus,” he added.
Meantime, Jalili said that Iran will wait until the end of human trial phase to precisely assess the effectiveness of the home-made vaccine.
“I believe the vaccine we have developed can be resistant to the virus mutation. The statistical information we have emphasizes this point,” he added.
Head of Iran’s Headquarters for Executing the Order of Imam Mohammad Mokhber announced on Sunday that the home-made coronavirus vaccine would go to the human trial phase in the next two or three days.
“The first injection will be carried out in the next two or three days,” Mokhber said.
He added that the Iran-made coronavirus vaccine has been developed under the latest global standards and will have the least side effects.
“We will develop a monthly production capacity of 1.5mln doses of vaccine within the next 40 days and this capacity will increase to 12mln doses in 6 months and we will be able to export the vaccine to foreign states after meeting the country’s needs,” Mokhber said.
"This vaccine's human trial has different phases and it will be injected to 56 people in the first phase," Minoo Mohraz said.
She explained that the vaccine is given twice to the volunteer people, and said, "The first vaccine injected produces antibodies in the body after a while, but the main antibody that creates immunity is produced after the second injection."
Mohraz noted that the Iranian vaccine company's actions have been registered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Without FDA permission, a new phase of the vaccine would not have been possible.
"If the test is successful and gets a manufacturing license from the FDA, it looks like the vaccine will enter the domestic market by late spring," the official stated.
She pointed out that until the domestic vaccine is made, it is necessary to prepare imported vaccines, and the relevant authorities are working hard to achieve this, she noted.
Recalling that two of the vaccines have been approved up to now, Mohraz said, "We are having some trouble buying vaccines due to US sanctions, but the government is following up."
She stressed that vaccines should now be available for high-risk groups and medical staff, such as nurses and physicians who deal directly with patients.
Also, earlier this month, Iranian Health Minister Saeed Namaki said that the country’s home-made coronavirus vaccine will pass the human trial phase and will be prepared for mass-production in the spring.
“We will put the Iranian coronavirus vaccine on the table next spring and we are pursuing its development every moment,” Namaki said, addressing a meeting in the Eastern province of South Khorassan.
Fars
www.farsnews.ir
Mass-production line of Iran's Shifa-Pharmed COVID-19 vaccine.