Iran influenza vaccine supply expected by late September

Iran is facing delays in the supply of influenza vaccines, with availability expected to begin in late September or early October. Akbar Abdollahi-Asl, Director General of Drug at the Food and Drug Administration, stated that while contracts were signed months ago, major manufacturers of brands such as Vaxigrip and Influvac have experienced production delays and price increases.

Several factors are contributing to the shortage, including international sanctions affecting companies like Abbott, difficulties in financial transfers, and logistics challenges. Additionally, domestic production has ceased this year after previous batches of locally produced vaccines faced low demand and expired, causing significant losses to manufacturers.

To address the shortage, approximately one million doses are being sourced from China and Russia for health networks. For the pharmacy market, officials are seeking additional supplies from China, Russia, and select European countries, though prices are expected to be higher than in previous years due to currency fluctuations.