Iran Expects to Kick Off Sputnik V Vaccine Production in April, Ambassador Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Iran expects to start production of Sputnik V, a Russian vaccine against COVID-19, on its territory in April, Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali told Sputnik on Friday.

"Joint production will begin in April, and two Iranian companies are now dealing with this issue. I think that within the next week the vaccine cells will be sent from Russia to Iran and, God willing, in April we will witness the start of joint vaccine production in Iran", the diplomat said.

According to Jalali, initial production volume will reach nine million doses a month.

"One of our companies at the first stage is capable of producing up to 4 million doses per month, another company - also up to 4 million doses. It will be about 8-9 million doses per month", the ambassador said, adding that there is also the potential to increase production volumes in the future.

Jalali previously said in February that Tehran and Moscow had reached an agreement to jointly produce the Sputnik V vaccine. According to Iranian Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur's statement in late January, Iran and Russia might work together on exporting Sputnik V to third countries.

Iran is also developing several domestic vaccines against COVID-19, including one jointly with Cuba. Tehran aims to start the production of homegrown vaccines by the summer.

Sputnik V has been approved in 57 countries, becoming the world's second vaccine in terms of being certified. It has an efficacy of 91.6 percent, and is effective against mutated coronavirus strains.