TEHRAN (Iran News) –  COVID-19 inoculation to rollout by homegrown vaccine this week. Health Minister Saeed Namaki announced that immunization against coronavirus by the domestic vaccine (COVIRAN BAREKAT) will start by the next week, ISNA reported on Monday.

COVIRAN, the first coronavirus vaccine made by researchers at the Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam, was unveiled on December 29, 2020, and started to be mass-produced on March 29.

Though the first phase of vaccination, only volunteers will receive the vaccine, Namaki further stated.

Today, our homegrown vaccines are the most harmless without any side effects. So, in less than a year, we were able to join the world’s largest vaccine manufacturers, he emphasized.

He went on to note that “fortunately, vaccination is going well in the country, and by the end of June, we will vaccinate the target groups, including the population above 60, and the incurable and special patients.

Some 85 percent of the toll occurs among the elderly and those with underlying diseases so that vaccination will reduce at least 80 percent of the mortality, and then we will enter the vaccination phase of other age groups by both Iranian and imported vaccines.”

Some 1 million doses of the vaccine have been produced; By June, this number will reach 12 million doses per month, and in August, and by September we will produce 20 to 25 million doses of vaccine.

Seven countries seeking to purchase Iranian vaccine

South America, African countries, several neighboring and two European countries have asked to purchase COVIRAN vaccine, Hassan Jalili, director of the vaccine research team said.

Although, we are capable of exporting the vaccine, however, through the policies adopted by the Ministry of Health, no vaccine will be exported until the domestic need is fully met, he stated.

14,000 more hospital beds to pace up coronavirus fight

Over 14,000 hospital beds will be added to the health system by mid-August to sooner contain the coronavirus pandemic, Kianoush Jahanpour, head of the Information Center of the Ministry of Health, announced.

Moreover, 1,400 health projects will be inaugurated, which have been started 12 months ago, he stated.

This movement in less than 14 months in the most difficult conditions of sanctions and epidemic will be remembered as a record in the history of the health system of Iran, he noted.

Vaccination to end by late November

President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday that If the volume of COVID-19 vaccine required by the country is provided, the vaccination of people with underlying diseases will be completed by late July, and the whole population will be vaccinated by late November.

To vaccinate people with underlying diseases, about 14-15 million doses of vaccine is required, while we now have 5 million doses, so another 10 million must be provided to complete the process by the end of July, then we will continue the process with foreign and domestic vaccines, he explained.

He expressed hope to start vaccination of the whole population by the end of the summer (September 23), noting that given the country’s ability of vaccine administration, vaccinating 500,000 people in 24 hours, the entire population can receive the vaccine within three to four months.

Homegrown vaccines

The second Iranian-made vaccine developed by the Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute (Razi Cov Pars) to be administered among the population in early August; which started the clinical trial on February 27, entered the second phase of the human trial on Friday.

Iran has also successfully completed the first phase of the human trial for Fakhra vaccine, the third domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine, named after nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh (he was assassinated in November 2020 near Tehran), that was unveiled and started the clinical trial on March 16.

“Osvid-19”, the fourth domestic vaccine produced by Osvah Pharmaceutical Company is also undergoing human trials, which will also be available in early September.

On May 24, the first coronavirus vaccine made by the private sector in Iran succeeded in receiving the code of ethics and entered the phase of clinical studies.