Lawmaker says Iran missing 200,000 vaccines
In yet another scandal surrounding Iran's contentious vaccine rollout, a senior lawmaker has said that hundreds of thousands of doses have been misallocated.
Iranian parliamentarian Mohsen Dehnavi has alleged that based on the Health Ministry's database, some 200,000 doses of imported vaccines are unaccounted for.
Dehnavi, who is a member of the parliament's presiding board, added that his inquiry to the Iranian health minister regarding the missing vaccines remains unanswered. He promised that the parliament will investigate the matter.
Kianoush Jahanpour, spokesperson for Iran's Food and Drug Administration, which is in charge of the vaccination imports, responded. "No dose has been or will be unaccounted for," Jahanpour tweeted. "The vaccine information is constantly traceable," he noted, but added no particulars about how such details are accessed. Jahanpour, who is known for his ferocious and sarcastic attacks against critics of the pandemic management, said, "What has been missing for quite some time is the honesty of some politicians," as he criticized the lawmaker for failing to back up his claims with evidence.
According to Jahanpour, some 3 million vaccines have been distributed. In a country of 85 million that remains the Middle East's worst-hit nation, the figure is disappointing to the worried public. While the rollout officially kicked off in February, prioritizing front line workers such as first responders, many nurses have complained that they have not yet received a jab. The Health Ministry says the program is currently working through residents above the age of 75.
