Iran Returns 820,000 Polish Donated Vaccines; Health Ministry: Vaccines Originated from America

Mohammad Hashemi, spokesperson for Iran’s Health Ministry, stated that 820,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine that were sent to Iran “from American sources” will be returned to Poland.

He said these vaccines were donated to Iran by Poland, but since they did not come from “approved sources” by Iran’s government, they were returned.

The Leader of the Islamic Republic had previously banned the importation of any American and British vaccines. Government officials, following widespread negative reactions to this order, announced that if vaccines produced by America and Britain are manufactured in another country and do not originate from these two countries, they can be imported.

Poland’s government has so far donated two million coronavirus vaccines to Iran, which according to previous reports were intended to be used for vaccinating Afghan refugees residing in Iran.

The AstraZeneca vaccines have been returned at a time when reports in recent weeks indicated a shortage of foreign vaccines, including AstraZeneca, in Iran and the willingness of many citizens to use these vaccines.

Iran’s government officials announced from mid-December that they are relying on domestic production for public vaccination and will not import foreign vaccines. The majority of Iran’s domestic vaccine is produced by an economic holding affiliated with the office of the Leader of the Islamic Republic.

Source: Radio Farda