TEHRAN – Venezuela has received a total of 2.4 million Iranian vaccines, including 19.05 million doses of polio vaccines and 502,000 doses of hepatitis B vaccine.
Venezuela’s Deputy Health Minister, Jessu Miguel Osteikotia was transported at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Michaelisia.
This is the second commission of a vaccine received from Iran as part of the two countries’ joint health initiatives.
“These vaccines are important to avoid preventable diseases and to strengthen national vaccination programs,” Irib quoted Osteicochea as saying.
Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic diseases. The best and most effective way to prevent hepatitis B is to get vaccinated.
The commission includes the initial shipment of an oral polio vaccine delivered to Venezuela by Iran’s radius vaccine and serum research lab.
Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that has a major impact on children under the age of 5. The virus is spread primarily through oral fecal routes or by common vehicles (such as contaminated water or food), and grows in the intestines that can invade the nervous system and cause paralysis.
It can be prevented through vaccinations. The development of effective vaccines to prevent paralytic polio was one of the major medical breakthroughs of the 20th century. Polio vaccines have been given many times and most often provide lifelong protection for children.
Razi Institute’s executive director Ali Es’haqi said on Saturday that the world is short of inactivated polio vaccines (IPVs), and countries such as Venezuela are facing further restrictions due to international sanctions.
He described the shipment as a step towards developing international cooperation and expanding the Institute’s export market.
He emphasized that the Institute has strict adherence to technical standards and international transport protocols throughout the process.
The vaccine was transported under carefully controlled conditions, and all procedures were introduced to preserve the -20°C cold chain, ensuring effectiveness during shipment, officials noted.
Officials noted that vaccine delivery is not only a response to a friendly country’s need in critical health situations, but also opened a new chapter in the export of Radji Institute to South America.
He described the export of this important product to Venezuela as “another step in the expansion of the path of health diplomacy and scientific and technological interactions with friendly countries.”
He said it will also promote the lab’s position as one of the reputable vaccine production centres in the region and around the world.
Iranian officials have further expressed hope that the move will pave the way for a more effective presence of the institute’s products in Latin America, Eurasia, Africa and neighboring countries.
On May 9, Iran’s Pasteur Institute exported more than 700,000 doses of Bacilluscalmet guerin (BCG) vaccines to Venezuela.
The BCG vaccine records its protective effect against meningitis and disseminated tuberculosis in children.
Esan Mostafavy, president of Iran’s Pasteur Institute, stressed the importance of boosting science diplomacy, saying it was a successful example of health-based international interactions and could be recognized as a model for the expansion of Iran’s scientific and technological impacts in the global health sector.
Iran’s Pasteur Institute has been developing the BCG vaccine since 1947. This is one of the strategic products with international standards manufactured by the Institute.
By recognizing international capabilities and identifying health needs in other countries, the institute plans to develop various vaccines for export, Mostafavi added.
The global vaccine market serves as a good opportunity to strengthen Iran’s role in the global health chain. In line with its historical mission, Iran’s Pasteur Institute intends to play a more active role in promoting public health not only in the country but also in developing countries.
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