Iranian Delegation in Moscow for Talks on Co-Production of COVID-19 Vaccine

Iranian Deputy Health Minister Mohammad Reza Shanehsaz is visiting the Russian capital of Moscow at the head of a delegation to discuss cooperation between the two sides on the co-production of the Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik-V, among other issues.

The Iranian delegation, which arrived in Moscow on Sunday, is set to hold talks with Russian officials, including the health minister, on the co-production of Sputnik-V vaccine.

An agreement is expected to be signed between the Iranian side and the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, which has developed the vaccine.

The Iranian deputy health minister and his entourage also plan to visit the vaccine production line at a factory outside of Moscow.

Upon arrival in Moscow, Shanehsaz told reporters that preliminary talks over the purchase and co-production of Sputnik-V started a few months ago, thanks to the efforts made by Iran’s Embassy in Moscow and the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

“During this visit, we will hold the final round of talks for the co-production of the Russian vaccine,” said Shanehsaz, who is also the head of Iran’s Food and Drug Administration.

Iran has purchased 2 million doses of the vaccine, the first batch of which arrived at Iran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport on February 4.

The medical journal Lancet recently published an article proving the effectiveness of Sputnik-V based on trial vaccination of nearly 22,000 volunteers. The results showed a 91.6% efficacy of the vaccine.

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