Iran To Begin Human Trials Of Domestic COVID-19 Vaccine Soon - Heath Ministry

Iranian companies are prepared to begin human trials of domestically-developed coronavirus vaccine, Health Ministry Spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told Sputnik

TEHRAN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th November, 2020) Iranian companies are prepared to begin human trials of domestically-developed coronavirus vaccine, Health Ministry Spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told Sputnik.

In mid-November, Iranian media reported that the transition of Iranian COVID-19 vaccines from animal to human trials had begun.

"At the moment, four companies are engaged in the production of a vaccine against coronavirus, they have informed the World Health Organization about the stages [of their work]. Probably, one or two companies will soon begin the human [trials] stage," Lari told Sputnik in Tehran.

Apart from the proprietary vaccine under development in the country, Iranian authorities are also planning to procure coronavirus vaccine via two other avenues� � through the COVAX fund, designed to provide access to vaccines at the international level and through cooperation with foreign countries.

The worst-affected country in the middle East, Iran has so far registered nearly 900,000 cases of infection, over 625,000 of which had recovered and over 46,000 died.