Iran may not see a coronavirus vaccine for two years - health commission

• Author: JERUSALEM POST STAFF
• Published date: 06 December 2020
• Date: 06 December 2020

According to Radio Farda, Bakhtabadi told the state-run Iran Students News Agency (ISNA) that the "people of Iran should know there is no coronavirus vaccine available for them at the moment."

"European countries have already purchased the vaccine and are set to use it. So, it will not be Iran's turn soon," Bakhtabadi said, according to the report. "Transportation of the coronavirus vaccine also has its specific complications," Bakhtabadi noted, adding that "Iran should rule out the import of vaccines from the United States."

However, these comments are contrast to Health Minister Saeed Namakis' remarks that Iran is in the midst of securing 18 million doses of the vaccine from European nations. According to the Radio Farda report, the minister said Iran had secured "four sources" to purchase the doses from.

It adds that Iran intends to work with the vaccine developers to buy surplus inventory.

President Hassan Rouhani said in televised remarks that he had instructed Iran's Central Bank to provide the funds needed to import coronavirus vaccines.

Iran's total deaths from coronavirus surpassed 50,000 on Saturday, with more than one million people infected, although transmission rates in the Middle East's...