TEHRAN, Iran, Aug. 10
Trend:
Deputy customs chief of Iran Mehrdad Jamal Arvanaghi has announced the total import of 21 million doses of coronavirus vaccine via 33 shipments to the country, Trend reports via Fars News Agency.
In a letter to Deputy Minister of Health, Treatment and Medical Education and Head of the Food and Drug Administration, Mohammadreza Shanesaz, the deputy customs chief Mehrdad Jamal Arvanaghi said that since early February, 21 million doses of different types of COVID-19 vaccines have been imported into the country through the Imam Khomeini Airport.
According to the letter, of the mentioned vaccines, 14.5 million doses were from China (Sinopharm), 2.9 million doses from Japan (AstraZeneca), 1.4 million doses from Italy (through COVAX), 1.02 million doses from Russia (Sputnik-V), 700,800 doses from South Korea (COVAX), 315,000 doses from Russia (AstraZeneca) and 125,000 doses from India.
Iran continues to monitor the coronavirus situation in the country. 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.