The first round of coronavirus vaccinations in Iran will begin in the next few days according to a list of priorities in target groups, President Hassan Rouhani said.



In comments on Saturday, Rouhani said the COVID-19 vaccinations will begin in the coming days as the country has imported the first consignment of vaccines from Russia.

The president said the healthcare and medical personnel will be the first to get the vaccine, followed by the elderly and those with underlying diseases.

He also noted that the vaccination program in Iran will reach a “remarkable” level before the new Iranian year (March 20) with the delivery of the other shipments of vaccines purchased from abroad.

Iran’s Food and Drug Administration says the country has purchased 2 million doses of Russia’s Sputnik-V vaccine, the first shipment of which arrived in Iran on Thursday.

Officials said Iran will receive around 16 million doses of vaccines through the World Health Organization's COVAX program, import more than 25 million doses from abroad, and produce 25 million other doses inside the country.