Middle East’s most affected country expands its vaccination campaign, with plans to include children from nine to twelve years old in the national drive.
Tehran, Iran – Iran has seen an alarming increase in COVID-19 infection rates after a time of relative calm. This is due to the Omicron variant spreading across the country.
After 47 days, the country’s COVID-19 color-coded COVID-19 maps saw a red spot on Wednesday. The central Yazd County was classified with the highest alarm level.
While most cities in the country have the lowest classification of blue, most cities have increased their orange area count to eight. One hundred fourteen cities are now classified as “yellow,” which is the lower level.
The number of daily cases registered jumped from 700 to over 9,000 in January. The number of deaths in 24 hours has risen to 700 from 700 in January, despite widespread vaccination campaigns. This is far lower than the 709 peak number registered in August 2021, when the Delta variant was dominant in the country during a time of limited vaccine access.
Iran is still the worst-affected country by the pandemic, with more than 132,000 deaths and over 6.2 million cases. Health officials claim that these figures are likely to be much higher.
On December 19, the country reported its first Omicron infected. Officials confirmed that there were 3,466 cases of this fast-spreading Omicron infection.
This recent rise in infections is coming as Iran prepares to host 10-day celebrations for the anniversary of its 1979 Islamic Revolution. These celebrations will begin on February 1. Officials are reportedly planning to hold in-person events, whereas last year’s rallies were conducted using only cars and motorbikes.
The country implemented “smart protocols” in December. They allow almost all activities and impose very few restrictions on adults who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19. This is up to six million people, according to the health ministry.
Officials at the Health Department warn of the sixth wave of infected persons and urge them to adhere to the health protocol and get vaccinated.
“It is our emphatic suggestion that people complete their vaccine in the short weeks-long period left to the next coronavirus peak,” Hamidreza Jamaati (head of the scientific committee for the national anti-coronavirus Task Force) said semi-officially to ISNA news site this week. He also urged people to wear face masks.
Ahmad Vahidi, the Interior Minister, warned Tuesday that certain restrictions could be reinstated in case of worsening conditions but did not name any specific measures.
The latest figures from the health ministry were released Tuesday. They show that more than 60 million people in Iran have received at least one vaccine dose, and close to 54 million of them got both.
All Iranians aged 18 and over can now get booster shots, but only 15 million have received them. Officials regularly emphasize the importance of a third dose.
The low uptake could be because many Iranians who were previously injected with China’s Sinopharm vaccine as their only available option are now waiting for other options, including the AstraZeneca jab.
Officials are still expanding the country’s national vaccination campaign. The health ministry announced Wednesday plans to vaccine approximately eight million children between nine and 12. Vaccinations are voluntary. Parents must consent to vaccinate their children.
The inoculation drive has also seen more meaningful use of homegrown jabs.
The covering Barakat jab is widely available. Other options include joint productions, such as the Soberana 02, its booster Soberana Plus, developed with Cuba, and SpikoGen with Australia.
