The first batch of Covid-19 vaccines imported by the Iranian private sector arrived from Russia on July 28.
According to Nasser Riahi, chairman of Iranian Pharmaceutical Importers Association, the shipment includes 320,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is the first batch of a larger order placed by the private sector.
“Nearly 380,000 doses will arrive next week and by August 22, one million doses of the vaccines under this contract will be imported,” he was quoted as saying by ISNA.
“This shipment has nothing to do with the proposal made by Iran Chamber of Commerce on vaccination of workers. These vaccines were purchased by a private company and put at the disposal of Health Ministry to be used for the vaccination of the general public.”
Cobel Darou, one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in Iran, is the importer of these vaccines from the Russian drugmaker R-Pharm, ILNA reported.
Earlier this year, the private sector announced it has signed a deal to import six million doses of Covid-19 vaccines.
“The import of these vaccines will be financed by business owners, manufacturers and executive managers of companies at market exchange rate for the free vaccination of their workers,” Masoud Khansari, the head of Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, said then.
“Notably, importers will supply the vaccine on a not-for-profit basis and with the license issued by the Health Ministry and the supervision of the National Coronavirus Headquarters,” he was quoted as saying by Fars News Agency.
