Iran supplies polio vaccines to Venezuela amid US sanctions

An Iranian company has supplied a first shipment of polio vaccines to Venezuela amid growing cooperation between the two countries to offset the impacts of US sanctions on their economies.

The head of Iran’s Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute said on Saturday that the state-controlled company had exported a batch of oral polio vaccines (OPV) to Venezuela.

Ali Es’haqi said the polio vaccines were exported to Venezuela upon an official request from the South American country and after health officials from Caracas paid a visit to Razi’s headquarters in Tehran.

Es’haqi said that Venezuela has been facing an acute shortage of polio vaccines, mainly because of dwindling supplies of inactivated polio vaccines (IPV) in the world as well as a domestic shortage caused by US sanctions.

He said the Iranian polio vaccine shipment had been delivered to Venezuelan authorities via a direct flight from Tehran to Caracas and using specialized equipment needed to preserve the so-called cold chain in transportation.

The official said that vaccine exports to Venezuela have stabilized Razi’s position as a major regional and international vaccine manufacturer.

“This effort is not only a response to the needs of a friendly country during sensitive hygiene conditions, but it is also the start of a new chapter in Razi’s exports to the South American region,” said Es’haqi.

Iran and Venezuela have expanded their cooperation in recent years as part of joint efforts to counter sanctions imposed by the United States on their economies.

Oil has been the focus of cooperation between Iran and Venezuela in the past years, although Caracas has sought broader Iranian assistance in its economic struggle against the US.

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