Iran starts human trials of indigenous COVID-19 vaccine; Turkey’s tally tops 2.17 mln

People attend the funeral of a COVID-19 victim at Ortakoy cemetery in Ankara, Turkey, on Dec. 29, 2020. In Turkey, the total COVID-19 cases surged to 2,178,580 while the death toll from the disease climbed to 20,388 after 253 more fatalities were confirmed. The tally of recoveries in Turkey rose by 21,004 to 2,058,437.

Cairo, Egypt | THE INDEPENDENT | Iran on Tuesday started the human trials of its indigenous COVID-19 vaccine. Meanwhile, the tally of Turkey’s coronavirus cases surpassed 2.17 million after 15,805 new infections were added.

CovIran Barekat, the first Iranian domestic vaccine for COVID-19, entered the stage of human trials, Hojjat Nik Maleki, spokesman of the headquarters for Executing the Order of Imam Khomeini (EIKO), was quoted by Iranian media as saying.

EIKO is a state-owned enterprise under the direct control of the country’s Supreme Leadership Authority led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. A total of 56 volunteers received the vaccine at the current stage of the trial, said EIKO.

Iran announced on Tuesday 6,108 new COVID-19 infections, raising its overall count of coronavirus cases to 1,212,481.

The death toll from the virus in Iran climbed by 132 to 54,946, while a total of 969,408 patients have recovered, Sima Sadat Lari, the spokeswoman for Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education, said at her daily briefing.

In Turkey, the total COVID-19 cases surged to 2,178,580 while the death toll from the disease climbed to 20,388 after 253 more fatalities were confirmed. The tally of recoveries in Turkey rose by 21,004 to 2,058,437.