Iran is grappling with a severe influenza vaccine shortage, even as the Islamic Republic’s officials insist that supplies are plentiful.
While the government insists that vaccine distribution issues have been resolved, citizens across the country report significant challenges in accessing the vaccine.
On November 18, the Deputy Health Director of Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences announced the distribution of 10,400 doses of the influenza vaccine in the province.
This statement follows repeated claims by health officials over the past two months that the country’s influenza vaccine shortage had been resolved.
Government-affiliated media outlets have reported that permits for influenza vaccine imports have been granted, and stockpiles are available in pharmaceutical warehouses and pharmacies.
According to a senior official from Iran’s Food and Drug Administration, over 2.1 million doses have been secured for high-risk groups and are supposedly readily available.
However, a vaccine distribution official in Lorestan, speaking anonymously to IranWire, expressed skepticism about these claims.
The official said, “Distributing 2.1 million doses for an 80-million population isn’t enough. I’m skeptical that this amount has truly reached the market.”
“We’ve received numerous complaints about pharmacies and distribution centers pressuring customers to purchase domestic vaccines instead. Forcing customers to buy a specific brand is illegal, and the domestically produced vaccine isn’t suitable for vulnerable groups like children or pregnant women.”
“While the first distribution phase is complete, the second phase is expected in the coming days.”
The official also emphasized that the best time to get the influenza vaccine is before winter when the weather cools and flu season begins.
However, he added that vaccination is still beneficial even as November ends. “The influenza vaccination window hasn’t closed yet. Due to this year’s delayed cold weather, the flu’s spread has also been slower.”
Despite official claims of widespread availability, many citizens report difficulty obtaining the vaccine.
Roshank, a homemaker from southern Bandar Abbas, struggled to find a vaccine for her 11-year-old son, who has severe asthma. She discovered that neither domestic nor foreign vaccines were available.
Meanwhile, the Lorestan official blamed the shortage on vaccine distribution being controlled by a few pharmaceutical companies with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or other entities benefiting from the government.
“Some of these vaccines are unofficially allocated to the Supreme Leader’s office, cabinet ministers’ families, high-ranking officials, and parliamentarians’ families,” the official said.
“A significant portion ends up on the black market, sold at four times the official price. Nobody knows how these vaccines reach open-market dealers. This mismanagement leaves not just ordinary citizens but even healthcare workers without access to the vaccine.”
The domestic vaccine, Flu Guard, is reportedly a single-dose, recombinant, quadrivalent vaccine. Unlike imported vaccines, it does not contain egg-derived proteins or antibiotics.
Roshank, who urgently needed the vaccine for her son, expressed a preference for the foreign version over the Iranian-made Flu Guard, citing concerns over the latter’s quality.
According to her, Flu Guard recently completed its Phase 3 trials, and not enough time has passed to understand its potential side effects fully. She also noted that accessing the domestic vaccine, which is only approved for individuals over 18, is difficult in Hormozgan province.
The local official in Lorestan also questioned Flu Guard’s effectiveness compared to foreign alternatives. The official explained that the domestic vaccine has been less popular among the public.
“Since this vaccine is new and its efficacy hasn’t been proven yet, unsuccessful outcomes or potential side effects aren’t well documented,” the official explained.
“It’s too early to judge its performance. However, domestic drugs and vaccines have little credibility among the public, so this vaccine has faced lower demand. People typically turn to it only when the foreign version is unavailable.”
Mahin Torabi, a pharmacy worker in Tehran, told IranWire that her pharmacy, unlike in previous years, had not received any allocation of imported influenza vaccines this year.
“Every year, we would receive a batch of imported vaccines for distribution,” Torabi explained. “This year, they’ve announced an online registration link for people to apply for the vaccine. Even the small allocation usually reserved for healthcare workers hasn’t been provided. We’ve been told to use the same link the Ministry of Health shared for registration.”
Torabi said that the rationale behind online distribution is to reduce the risk of misuse.
“It’s undeniable that some of these vaccines end up on the black market. Online registration might provide better control over vaccine distribution. However, not all patients have immediate access to online services. For many, it’s easier to go directly to a pharmacy.”
“Some people lack literacy, and others in villages or suburban areas might not have internet access. Individuals with compromised immune systems also need urgent and immediate access to the vaccine.”
A Vaccine That Ends Up on the Black Market
Despite persistent shortages of vaccines through legal and official channels, the black market for influenza vaccines is thriving. Both imported and domestic versions of rare or supposedly unavailable vaccines are readily available through unofficial means.
According to a local official in Lorestan, the smuggling of imported vaccines, including influenza vaccines, is not only orchestrated by officials or middlemen but also involves some financially influential doctors with hidden lobbying power in the system. These doctors acquire the vaccines and then resell them at astronomical prices.
“They buy the vaccines and, after some time, resell them at exorbitant prices.”
Torabi questioned the official shortage, saying, “If the influenza vaccine shortage is real, why is it so easily available on the black market?” She doesn’t rule out officials’ involvement in vaccine import and export processes in fueling the black market.
“In my opinion, the influenza vaccine exists, but an unjust distribution network prevents reasonable access for the public,” Torabi added.
Earlier this fall, Torabi’s pharmacy received a batch of imported Dutch vaccines, which were sold to customers for between 300,000 ($4.4) and 400,000 ($5.8) tomans each.
“We distributed these vaccines by linking them to customers’ national ID numbers. Each ID could purchase two doses, but the supply was limited and sold out quickly. We haven’t been promised another batch yet.”
Access to influenza vaccines has been especially limited for prisoners. According to the local official in Lorestan, only a small number of prisons in the province received the vaccine.
“At Khorramabad Central Prison, just one round of the Iranian Flu Guard vaccine was distributed, prioritized for inmates with immune deficiencies or the elderly. Healthier and younger inmates are still waiting for subsequent distributions,” the official explained.
In Iran, receiving an influenza vaccine is still seen as a luxury. While specialists generally don’t consider the flu a severe disease, they emphasize that it can pose significant risks to individuals with compromised immune systems.
Source » iranwire