Covid-19: Iran begins its vaccination campaign
Parsa Namaki, the son of Iranian Minister of Health Saïd Namaki, received a dose of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against Covid-19 at Imam Khomeini hospital in Tehran on February 9, 2021. AP - Vahid Salemi
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Iran began vaccination against Covid-19 on Tuesday, February 9, with the Russian vaccine Sputnik V. Medical staff in intensive care units receives it as a priority.
Iran is the country most affected by the epidemic in the Middle East.
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With our correspondent in Tehran,
Siavosh Ghazi
Vaccination began simultaneously in 635 hospitals in Iran, with priority given to members of the medical staff who directly deal with patients affected by Covid-19.
These first vaccinations come on the eve of the 42nd anniversary of the
Islamic revolution
.
Saïd Samaki, the Minister of Health affirmed that in the coming weeks other batches of vaccines will arrive in Iran.
Faced with criticism and the campaign on social networks on the delay in importing vaccines, the purchase of
Russian vaccines
or the
refusal to buy American and British vaccines
, the minister said that his son Parsa was also vaccinated to prove that the decision of the power was right:
“
Among those vaccinated, there is a young person who is not a doctor.
But this is a student who came to prove his father's word, who said that one of the first people vaccinated was a member of my own family.
In addition to millions of Russian vaccines, Iran must import 4 million AstraZeneca vaccines, but also Chinese and Indian vaccines.
"
Iran has launched several programs to locally manufacture vaccines.
Mass production of these vaccines is expected to begin in the spring.
The Covid-19 has killed more than 58,500 people in the country.
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Iran
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Health and medicine
Vaccines
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