Tehran, 6 April 2021 – The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as one of the self-financing participant countries of the COVAX Facility, has received the first batch of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines, consisting of 700 800 doses.  The COVAX Facility, is a partnership co-led by Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the World Health Organization (WHO), alongside key delivery partner UNICEF.  The consignment is the first COVAX shipment to the country, with future consignments to be delivered in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of the Islamic Republic of Iran through UNICEF.  The AstraZeneca vaccines, manufactured by SK-Bio Institute of South Korea, landed at Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport on Monday, 5 April 2021, and were received by the representatives of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the presence of WHO and UNICEF teams.  This important milestone contributes to the global goal of equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines across the world through COVAX Facility. For more information, please contact:  Mehdi Ansari Jovini Communication Officer WHO Islamic Republic of Iran This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it