Iran has no concern about COVID-19 vaccine supplies: Rouhani
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the country has no concern about coronavirus vaccines supplies, adding that his government has plans in place to ensure people would receive the jab on time.
“Both the central bank and the health ministry have done their utmost and have plans in place to deliver vaccine to people both from home and from abroad,” Rouhani said on Wednesday during a Cabinet meeting.
The Iranian president said Iran had made a good progress in coming up with a home-made vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, saying the country has moved neck-and-neck with the rest of the world, and even better than many countries, in trying to develop and manufacture an effective and safe vaccine for the disease.
The comments came amid unconfirmed reports suggesting that Iran may end up having insufficient supplies of vaccines to immunize the population against coronavirus as sanctions imposed by the United States make it almost impossible for the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) to pay for the ordered supplies.
However, Iranian health ministry spokeswoman said on Wednesday that the CBI and the Iranian foreign ministry have been involved in some intensive and tough negotiations to ensure payments will reach foreign manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccine.
“The foreign ministry and the CBI are seriously negotiating for the purchase of coronavirus vaccine and we hope that through their help a proper mechanism is worked out for transferring the exchange and this product is purchased and imported into the country,” said Sima Sadat Lari.
Being under some of the most unprecedented economic sanctions by the US government, Iran has mostly relied on home-made capabilities to respond to a large outbreak of coronavirus.
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