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 enter Iran on Thursday, February 4th. Previously, experts have warned against the use of the Russian vaccine. Credible international bodies have not yet approved this vaccine.
The spokesman for the National Aviation Organization announced that in coordination with the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education, the National Corona Combat Headquarters, and the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, it has been decided that the first phase of importing the Russian coronavirus vaccine will be loaded by Mahan Airlines from Russia and brought into the country on Thursday, February 4th.
According to the Fars News Agency, Mohammad Hassan Zeibakhsh regarding the volume and quantity of the first shipment stated that “the volume and dosage of Russian coronavirus vaccines in the first batch is based on the demands of the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education.”
Previously, multiple experts have warned against the use of the Russian vaccine.
Two days ago, 98 members of the General Assembly of the Medical System of the Islamic Republic in an open letter addressed to President Hassan Rouhani emphasized that as representatives of the medical community in various cities of the country, they oppose the purchase of “Sputnik V” vaccine and are calling for the purchase of “the best vaccines available in the world from multinational companies.”
In the production of credible multinational vaccines that have so far received approval from international bodies, American and British companies are involved.
However, Ayatollah Khamenei has banned the import of such vaccines. The Leader of the Islamic Republic on January 9th, without presenting expert reasoning, declared 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 the necessary information about the final stages of its clinical trials has still not been presented to independent bodies and the World Health Organization. The European Union is currently reviewing this vaccine and the first comprehensive research on it has recently been published in the scientific journal Lancet, which indicates its 91 percent effectiveness.
In the letter from members of the General Assembly of the Medical System, which was published before the Lancet research was released, while noting that “the effectiveness and safety” of Sputnik V vaccine “is met with ambiguity and objection even in the producing country,” they stated 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 by scientific figures in the Corona 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 that for “Iran’s medical community and people,” such a consideration in this regard is “unacceptable and unforgivable.”
Previously, Minu Mehraz, a member of the scientific committee of the Corona Combat Headquarters, had said that 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 ready to provide 100 million doses of “Sputnik V” vaccine to European countries, which could vaccinate 50 million people.
The Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper reported on Sunday, January 31st, quoting Germany’s health minister: «If a vaccine is evaluated as effective and safe, regardless of which country it is produced in, it can help fight the coronavirus pandemic.»
He emphasized that the determining factor in this regard is the issuance of regular approval for each vaccine in accordance with European Union regulations. The “European Medicines Agency” is the only decision-making body for issuing permits for drugs and vaccines in European countries.
However, this agency has so far approved no Chinese and Russian vaccines, and given the prerequisite that Germany’s health minister called decisive, at least currently there is no possibility of using vaccines produced by these two countries in the European Union.
Russia claims that it has submitted a request for approval of the Sputnik vaccine to the European Medicines Agency.
To date, three coronavirus vaccines in which pharmaceutical companies from Germany, the United States, and Britain 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.
