KHAMENEI RECEIVES IRAN’S HOME-MADE COVID-19 VACCINE

Fri 25 June 2021:

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has received the first coronavirus vaccine developed by Iran, state TV reported Friday.

Khamenei said that he was not interested in taking foreign-made vaccines, because it is better to “wait for the Iranian vaccine because we have to be proud of this national honor.”

In January, Khamenei banned imports of the American and British vaccines, a reflection of mistrust toward the West.

Iranian pharmaceutical company Shifafarmed made the COVIran Barekat vaccine based on deactivated virus, and the first study of the safety and effectiveness began in late December.

The emergency authorization was approved last week after the country, which is the worst-hit nation in the Middle East, faced problems importing enough vaccines.

Iran has not published data about efficacy of the vaccine, but claims that people who get the home made jab have about 85 percent immunity to the deadly virus.

Iranian officials said the death toll from COVID-19 rose by 115 over the day into Friday, putting the country’s total at 83,588 since the pandemic broke out last year.

Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said 10,820 new confirmed cases were registered over the same period, bringing that total to 3,150,949.

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

TWITTER (CLICK HERE)
https://twitter.com/IpIndependent