First Shipment of Controversial Russian Vaccine to Arrive in Iran on Thursday
In coordination with the Ministry of Health, the first shipment of Russian vaccine will arrive in Iran on Thursday, February 5th. Previously, experts have warned against the use of the Russian vaccine. Credible international bodies have not yet approved this vaccine.
A spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Organization announced that in coordination with the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education, the National Coronavirus Combat Headquarters, and the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, the first phase of Russian coronavirus vaccine imports is scheduled to be loaded and brought into the country on Thursday, February 5th by Mahan Airlines from Russia.
According to the Fars News Agency, Mohammad Hassan Zeibakhsh said regarding the volume and amount of the first shipment: “The volume and dosage of Russian coronavirus vaccines in the first batch is determined according to the demand of the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education.”
Previously, numerous experts have warned against the use of the Russian vaccine.
Two days ago, 98 members of the General Assembly of the Medical Organization of the Islamic Republic issued an open letter to President Hassan Rouhani, emphasizing that as representatives of the medical community from various cities of the country, they oppose the purchase of “Sputnik V” vaccine and demand the purchase of “the world’s best vaccines from multinational companies.”
American and British companies are involved in the production of credible multinational vaccines that have so far received approval from international bodies.
However, Ayatollah Khamenei has banned the import of such vaccines. The leader of the Islamic Republic declared on January 9th without presenting expert reasons that in his view American and British vaccines are ineffective.
The Sputnik vaccine received national approval for use in Russia about six months ago while necessary information about the final stages of its clinical trials had not yet been submitted to independent bodies and the World Health Organization. The European Union is reviewing this vaccine, and the first comprehensive research on it was recently published in the scientific journal Lancet, which indicates its 91 percent effectiveness.
In the letter from members of the Medical Organization’s General Assembly published before the Lancet study was released, while noting that “the effectiveness and safety” of Sputnik V vaccine “is faced with ambiguity and opposition even in the producing country,” they outlined their reasons for opposition as follows:
“A: There is no transparent information available about the stages of research and production of Sputnik V vaccine.
B: Sputnik V vaccine has not been approved by any credible international sources, and its effectiveness and safety has been questioned by international bodies and even scientific figures of the coronavirus headquarters.
C: The documents, evidence and reasons for approving this vaccine have not been made available to experts in the medical community.”
The letter continues, stating that for “Iran’s medical community and people,” such consideration in this matter is “unacceptable and unforgivable.”
Earlier, Minoo Mohraz, a member of the scientific committee of the coronavirus fighting headquarters, said she considers the import of Russian vaccine “bad luck for the Iranian people” and is not willing to receive it.
Use of Russian vaccine in the European Union is currently ruled out
Russia announced last Friday, January 29th, that it is prepared to make 100 million doses of “Sputnik V” vaccine available to European countries, with which 50 million people can be vaccinated.
The Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper, on Sunday, January 31st, quoted Germany’s health minister: “If a vaccine is assessed as effective and safe, regardless of which country it is produced in, it can help combat the coronavirus pandemic.”
He emphasized that the decisive factor is the issuance of formal authorization for each vaccine in accordance with European Union regulations. The “European Medicines Agency” is the only decision-making body for issuing authorization for medicines and vaccines in European countries.
However, this agency has so far not approved any Chinese and Russian vaccines, and given the precondition that the German health minister called decisive, at least for now there is no possibility of using vaccines produced by these two countries in the European Union.
Russia claims that it has submitted the application for approval of the Sputnik vaccine to the European Medicines Agency.
So far, three coronavirus vaccines in which German, American and British pharmaceutical companies are involved in their production have been approved by the “European Medicines Agency” and are being used in European countries: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines.
