BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 26
Trend:
Head of Iran's EIKO organization (Execution of Imam Khomeini Order) Mohammad Mokhber, has announced the results of the first phase testing of a coronavirus vaccine on human volunteers, Trend reports via IRNA.
Mokhber said the tests went on positive, and there were no recorded side effects.
"By the end of the current Iranian year (ends on March 21, 2021), 2 to 3 million doses of vaccine will be produced in the country,” Mokhber said.
The first phase of testing on 21 volunteers is almost complete,” he said.
He said that the testing license on other 14 volunteers was received on Monday.
“After the completion of the first phase of testing the vaccine on 56 people, the second phase will begin,” he said adding that the vaccine will be available in April-May of 2020.
He said that achieving mass production of the vaccine is the main problem, but Iran is working on it.
“We will provide the Iranian vaccine to the people for lower price than foreign ones," he said.
Iran continues to monitor the coronavirus situation in the country. The country continues to apply strict measures to contain the further spread. Reportedly, the disease was brought to Iran by a businessman from Iran's Qom city, who went on a business trip to China, despite official warnings. The man died later from the disease.
The Islamic Republic of Iran only announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on Feb. 19. The pandemic hit a wide range of businesses in Iran since its outbreak in mid-February.
The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019.