Covid-19 Vaccine Imports Exceed 60 Million Doses

The total imports of Covid-19 vaccines to Iran have exceeded 60 million doses, with the arrival of the 55th consignment, technical deputy of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration said on Tuesday.
“The new shipment contains two million doses of Chinese Sinopharm, which is the 32nd Covid-19 vaccine consignment from China,” Mehrdad Jamal Arvanaghi was also quoted as saying by IRIB News.
According to the IRICA official, more than half of the vaccines were imported in the sixth month of the current fiscal year (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).
The total value of all Covid-19 vaccines imported to Iran from Feb. 3 to Sept. 12 stood at $421 million, he had said earlier.
“Each Sinopharm vaccine made in China costs $9.2, AstraZeneca made in China $4, AstraZeneca made in Japan $4, COVAX made in Italy $4, Sputnik V made in Russia $10, AstraZeneca made in Russia $6.5, COVAX made in South Korea $4 and AstraZeneca made in Austria $4 and Bharat [COVAXIN] made in India $14.5,” he said.
“Some of the imported vaccines have been donated to Iran and the import process is continuing.”
Nasser Riahi, the chairman of Iranian Pharmaceutical Importers Association, said 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines will have been imported to Iran by the end of 2021 as per contracts signed with international manufacturers.
The private sector representative said Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access, abbreviated as COVAX, is administered through a vaccine-sharing program coordinated by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the World Health Organization to ensure the equitable distribution of vaccines for poor and middle-income countries.
“Iran’s share of COVAX-supplied doses is estimated to stand at 16.8 million for 25% of the population,” he said. 
“Iran needs to purchase vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna supplied by the COVAX via the World Health Organization due to banking issues. The country pays its financial commitments to WHO that pays the vaccine manufacturers.”
Riahi noted that Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are ready to send 20 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to Iran each but such imports might take months due to restrictions regarding temperature requirements for shipping and storage. 
The official added that contracts were signed for importing 30-50 million doses of Sputnik V vaccine from Russia, but the neighboring country failed to fully deliver on its promises.  
“Fifty million doses of Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine are expected to be imported from China ... Vaccine imports from South Korea and China will continue. A part of Bharat Biotech’s vaccines, which were scheduled to be purchased from India, did not materialize due to certain problems while imports of AstraZeneca’s vaccines are continuing from different countries,” he said.   
Noting that at present the private sector is not carrying out vaccine imports, Riahi said the private sector companies are ready to import vaccines on a not-for-profit basis and with the license issued by the Health Ministry to deliver them to the government at the airport or put them at the disposal of companies willing to vaccinate their staff members. 
“The private sector has imported 2 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines so far. I’m asking the new health minister to change current conditions to facilitate transactions and accelerate vaccine imports,” he concluded. 
The vaccination process in Iran has recently gained pace, as the new administration led by Ebrahim Raeisi has put it on top of its agenda.
High school students in Iran are now eligible for the coronavirus vaccine, as plans are underway to import 12 million doses of vaccines for children and teenagers, Tasnim News Agency reported on Sunday.
The Iranian Health Ministry has announced that high school students with an age of 17 to 18 years are now eligible for the coronavirus vaccine.
Younger adolescents, including students under the age of 17, will be allowed to receive the vaccine very soon, the ministry announced.
Iran’s ambassador to China, Mohammad Keshavarz-Zadeh, has announced that Iran will be importing 12 million doses of Covid vaccines suitable for children between 3 and 17 years within the next two weeks.
According to the envoy, Iran will import 60 million doses of vaccines from China in the next six weeks.
The opening of new round-the-clock vaccination centers and inoculation of younger people indicates that life could soon return to normal for Iranians, the report said.