“We anticipate production of the national vaccine to start in April and we will turn into an exporter of the vaccine in the region after meeting internal needs,” Namaki said.

He, meantime, underlined continued imports of COVID-19 vaccine, adding that 250,000 doses of the vaccine will be imported soon.

Namaki also warned of the high fatality rate reported in Iran by infection to the British coronavirus mutation, and further blasted the British for attempts to downplay the power of the new virus.

Head of Iran’s Headquarters for Executing the Order of Imam (Khomeini) (HEIKO) Coronavirus Research Team Hassan Jalili announced on Sunday that Tehran is holding negotiations with 3 countries to export its home-made COVID-19 vaccine.

“5 world states have demanded to purchase the Iran-made vaccine. 3 countries are in negotiations and 2 others have demanded talks,” Jalili told reporters in a press conference, but declined to name the three states.

Also, addressing the same press conference, senior member of Iran’s National Task Force for Fighting Coronavirus Minou Mohraz said no important side effects have been reported among volunteers during the first phase of the clinical trial of Iran-made COV-Iran Barekat coronavirus vaccine.

She added that the vaccine is also effective against coronavirus mutation spreading in Britain.

Meantime, Director of the Clinical Trial Center of Tehran University of Medical Sciences Seyed Hamed Hosseini said that final results of the first phase of the clinical trial of COV-Iran Barekat vaccine will be declared on March 4, adding that the second and third phases will be carried out with participation of 400 and nearly 20,000 volunteers, respectively.

Chairman of the Headquarters for Executing Imam Khomeini’s Order Mohammad Mokhber had underlined earlier this month the capability of the Iran-made vaccine to deactivate the new British coronavirus, saying that the country hopes that the vaccine can also resist against other types of COVID-19 virus mutations.

“The Iranian vaccine has shown very excellent performance against the mutated coronavirus spreading in Britain and we hope that the Iran-made vaccine will succeed in confronting the future mutations of the coronavirus too,” Mokhber said.

He added that infrastructures and facilities have been prepared to mass-produce the Iran-made coronavirus vaccine, adding that the country will be ready to produce 12mln to 14mln doses of the vaccine in mid spring.

Mokhber said that a number of world states have demanded to purchase the Iran-made vaccine, stressing that the Iranian citizens are a priority to receive the vaccine.

Namaki said earlier this month that the country will turn into a center for production of coronavirus vaccine in spring given the successful results of the human trial of its home-made vaccines.

“Our country will become one of the poles to produce coronavirus vaccine next spring,” Namaki said.

He stressed the successful results of the human trial of Iran-made coronavirus vaccines, and said, “We are vigorously pursuing the indigenous vaccine, and we import both the COVAX vaccines and vaccines from the safest sources."