Speaking live on Iranian TV, Namaki hoped to start the process by February 10, but added that the country will not start to do so unless it finds the safest and the most secure vaccine.

He said that Iran wants to use the most effective vaccine, adding that the country will not even wait for the 16.8 million doses of World Health Organization’s COVAX because some groups need to be inoculated sooner.

Regarding the Iranian-made COVID-19 vaccine, he said that the first clinical test of the vaccine will be conducted next week in the Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute.

He also said that another research is being done by Cuba and Iran’s Pasteur Institute which is going through its second clinical phase in Cuba and its third phase will be done in Tehran, hoping that the jointly-produced vaccine will be used in mid-spring.