All Iranians to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by next winter: Health official

TEHRAN. KAZINFORM The secretary of biotechnology development department in Iran’s presidential office said on Monday that the necessary doses for inoculation against the coronavirus will be provided through purchase and domestic production and that the public vaccination will be complete by winter 2022.

Mostafa Qanei said that Iran is to provide around 16 million doses of the vaccine through the World Health Organization's COVAX program, 25 million doses through import, and 25 million through domestic production, IRNA reports.

He went on to say that the first group of people will receive the vaccine this year and that the top-priority people on the list are healthcare staff and medical personnel, people with disabilities, and disabled war veterans,

Senior citizens, people with specific diseases, and those whose job requires contact with others will be vaccinated in spring, he said.

He added that in spring 2021, those over the age of 65, people with underlying diseases (aged 16-64), and those in contact with the public due to their job will receive the coronavirus vaccine, he noted, saying other groups to be injected in summer and fall 2021 will include residents of crowded places and the elderly aged between 55 and 65 without an underlying disease.

He added that all Iranians will have been vaccinated by next winter.

Referring to the jointly produced vaccine by Iran and Cuba, Qanei said that nine Iranian companies are developing a vaccine for COVID-19, three of which have reached the clinical trial phase.

He also said that the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has recognized Iran as one of the producers of COVID-19 vaccine.