Iran registers order at COVAX to buy vaccine

24 November 2020 17:26 (UTC+04:00)

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Iran has registered an order to purchase coronavirus vaccine at COVAX, formally known as the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility, said the head of health technology development office in the Ministry of Health.

"The reservation and financial supply for purchasing foreign vaccine have been submitted by Iran in COVAX," said Hossein Vatanpour, Trend reports citing IRNA.

"There are many companies that claim that they have succeeded in producing vaccine but have not released it, based on COVAX framework they have declared their capacities and products while many countries have also declared their needs for purchasing vaccine to this facility," he said.

"We have reviewed the subject of coronavirus vaccine in the committee and choose risky groups in the society to use the vaccine. We have acted cautiously and we can compare foreign vaccines with or domestic products," he added.

He also pointed out that companies with relative success including Pfizer and Moderna have announced their production capacities after receiving permits from COVAX, countries would also declare their needs based on their population and financial capacities.

"Iran has registered its order to purchase vaccine and we plan to use all the capacities and would not purchase only one model of vaccine, therefore, we registered order to purchase three models of the vaccine in COVAX, so we can compare them and domestic products," he noted.

According to Vatanpour if Iran is unable to produce vaccines on time then by importing there can be assurances that the high-risk groups would be vaccinated.