Iran’s slow COVID-19 vaccination will see long impacts

Significance

The slow pace of vaccination and the arrival of the Delta variant caused a deadly new pandemic crisis in Iran. However, the new government of President Ibrahim Raisi, like its predecessor, has resisted lockdowns as a solution.

Impacts

• The five waves of COVID-19 will likely result in higher antibody prevalence across the Iranian population than in less-affected countries.
• The dominance of the Sinopharm vaccine, which is less protective against Delta, will increase the importance of booster shots.
• The development of domestic vaccines will be used to validate the doctrine of the ‘resistance economy’.
• Vaccine development could create export opportunities and leave the country more secure in the face of future biological threats.