Iran is soon expected to receive its first batch of foreign vaccines against the coronavirus from the World Health Orgzation-led COVID-19 vaccine procurement and distribution initiative, the COVAX Facility, the state-run IRNA news agency reported on Monday, citing an official.
According to Mostafa Ghaneie, the head of the country's Scientific Committee of Coronavirus Combat and Prevention Headquarters, the COVAX vaccines will be delivered to Iran in the next few weeks.
The news agency added, citing the official, that high-risk groups, including healthcare workers and the elderly, will be the first to receive the vaccine.
Earlier in January, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared a ban on imports of COVID-19 vaccines from the United Kingdom and the United States. Meanwhile, Iran officials have confirmed that Tehran held negotiations on the potential procurement of vaccines with Moscow, Beijing and New Delhi.
Iran began the human trials of its first domestic coronavirus vaccine, Covo-Iran, in late December and said that no side effects were detected so far.
To date, Iran has confirmed over 1.3 million COVID-19 cases, including more than 57,000 related deaths and over 1.1 million recoveries. (/Sputnik)
( With inputs from ANI )
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