A Tunisian woman wearing a face mask walks on a street in Tunis, Tunisia, Aug. 19, 2020. (Xinhua/Adel Ezzine)

 
Hechmi Louzir, director general of the Pasteur Institute of Tunis (IPT), said on Saturday that the vaccine against the coronavirus is expected to be fully ready in Tunisia in early 2021.

"This DNA-based vaccine would strengthen the immune system," Louzir told Shems FM Radio.

He added that the effectiveness of the vaccine "will also depend on compliance with preventive measures against the virus."

"Once the vaccine is proven to be effective, articles will be published in scientific journals during November and December," the health official explained.

Photo provided by Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) shows the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow, Russia, Aug. 6, 2020. (Xinhua Photo)

 
On Tuesday, Louzir announced that a team from the IPT has started working on a vaccine against COVID-19 based on DNA technology.

The IPT is a public health and scientific research center in Tunisia.