Iran begins human trials in domestically-produced COVID vaccine

Iran launched human trials of its first domestic COVID-19 vaccine candidate, state media reported on Tuesday (December 29), which Tehran says could help it defeat the pandemic despite U.S. sanctions interfering with its ability to import vaccines.

Setad, a giant state-affiliated conglomerate controlled by Iran's supreme leader, said production of the vaccine developed by one of its companies, Shifa Pharmed, could reach 12 million doses per month, six months after a successful trial ends.

The first volunteers to take the vaccine were officials of the conglomerate and the daughter of its head, in an apparent effort to boost public confidence in the vaccine.

Iranian Health Minister Saeed Namaki attended the event.

Shifa Pharmed aimed to complete the tests on 56 volunteers aged between 18-50 years in its initial stage.

The volunteers will stay under supervised quarantine for up to a month. The second phase of the trial is due to be performed on 500 volunteers.

More than 27,000 Iranians volunteered to participate in Shifa Pharmed' human trials so far.

Iran has been the worst-hit country in the Middle East by the global COVID-19 pandemic. It complains that its ability to buy vaccines is hampered by U.S. financial sanctions, reimposed after the Trump administration abandoned a 2015 nuclear agreement. Food and medicine are exempt from the sanctions, but banks have been discouraged from financing Iranian deals.

Tehran said last week it had received approval from U.S. authorities to buy coronavirus vaccines from the World Health Organization-led COVAX alliance.

Iran's Red Crescent Society has said that, separately from the government, it was planning to import a Chinese vaccine.