Influenza vaccine has still not been distributed in Iran’s pharmacies despite the approaching cold season, and pharmacy owners say its price this year will reach about 1,500,000 tomans.

According to the newspaper Shargh, the Food and Drug Organization has reported shipments coming from China, Russia, and some European countries, and said that the price of the new shipments is higher than in past years. But pharmacy owners say there is no news of distribution.

In a report, Shargh, emphasizing the 42,000-toman price of the vaccine in 1399, quoted a pharmacy owner as saying: “People should expect a price of about 1,500,000 tomans for the influenza vaccine this year.”

Shargh wrote that this year delays by foreign manufacturers and the suspension of domestic production have disrupted the supply of the vaccine.

As the newspaper wrote, if the promise of the vaccine’s arrival by early Mehr does not turn into actual distribution, an extensive wave of influenza infections in the coming days is not unlikely.

The head of the Public Relations Center of the Ministry of Health has also said that no valid influenza vaccine has yet been distributed in Iran’s health system.