Iran announced Saturday that over half of its population of 85 million people is fully vaccinated. The country, which now has 44 million residents who have received both doses of the coronavirus vaccine, has recorded at least 128,000 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, The Associated Press reported. Iran's highest single daily death toll came on Aug. 24, with 709 reported deaths, the AP reported. Less than half of Iran's population wears masks and follows social distancing protocols, according to the news outlet. Iran started using its natively-produced COVIran Barekat vaccine in June without sharing any data on its safety or effectiveness.

Source: The North Africa Journal November 20, 2021 15:44 UTC