Iran approves second Iranian-made COVID-19 vaccine
Iran's vaccine rollout has been marked by delays as the virus continues to spread rapidly across the country.
Iran’s Health Ministry has approved a second domestically made COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use. The vaccine campaign in Iran has been relatively slow, and the country has been badly hit by the coronavirus.
Iranian Health Minister Saeid Namaki said Tuesday that the Pasteur vaccine completed its third phase of clinical trials and received “permission for its emergency use.” The vaccine was developed in partnership with Cuban scientists, the state-owned Press TV reported.
The COVIran Barekat vaccine, also made in Iran, received emergency authorization last week, prompting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to take it.
The Islamic Republic has been among the countries worst affected by the pandemic in the Middle East. The country is registering around 10,000 new cases a day among its population of more than 80 million.
