Iran to buy 60m Sputnik V doses

Iran has finalised a deal with Russia to buy 60 million doses of Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, the state-run IRNA news agency reported yesterday. The report quotes Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, as saying the contract had been “signed and finalised” for enough vaccinations to inoculate 30 million people. Jalali said Iran would receive the vaccines by the end of the year. Iran began a 10-day lockdown last week amid a fourth wave of Covid infections. The severe surge follows a two-week public holiday for Nowruz, the Persian New Year. Millions travelled to the Caspian coast and other popular vacation spots and congregated in homes in defiance of government health guidelines.