Pfizer-BioNTech to send 90 million doses of vaccine to Turkey

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Turkey has finalized a deal to buy 60 million more doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine, with an option for an additional 30 million doses, it was announced yesterday (May 20).

As reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), a statement was issued by BioNTech yesterday, which said, "This second supply agreement brings the total number of doses to be supplied to Turkey to up to 120 million, all of which will be delivered in 2021."

On December 25, 2020, the two companies announced an initial agreement to provide 30 million vaccine doses to Turkey, read the statement.

"We are grateful to be able to make an important contribution to Turkey's vaccination efforts and for the trust placed in us," said Uğur Şahin, the CEO and Co-Founder of BioNTech: "Our goal is to deliver as many doses of our vaccine as possible to people around the world to help end this pandemic, reduce COVID-19-related hospitalizations and return to a normal life."

Commenting on the deal within this context, Cem Açık, Pfizer Country Manager in Turkey, said that this agreement will further enhance Turkey's COVID-19 vaccination efforts. "Pfizer is committed to contributing to public health in Turkey and very proud to have a global partner such as BioNTech in the global fight against the pandemic," he noted.

On Tuesday, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced that Turkey will secure 90 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in the next two months to facilitate the country's fight against the pandemic.

'We can vaccinate 1.5 million people per day'

On the other side, speaking to the press following the Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board meeting yesterday evening, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said that the number of daily cases fell below 10,000 after a 17-day lockdown which ended early this week.

He stressed that "Turkey has the potential to vaccinate more than 1.5 million people per day," adding that "Turkey could start Phase 3 studies of its national COVID-19 vaccine at the beginning of June."

If the studies conclude successfully, national vaccines may be used with emergency use approval by September, Koca added. "The vaccination rate for over-65s has reached 84 percent," Koca said.

Turkey will continue vaccinating people gradually, going down to age 20 in June if there is no problem with vaccine supplies, he added.

Şahin attended the conference virtually

Joining the press conference virtually, Uğur Şahin reiterated that they want to send 30 million vaccine doses to Turkey by the end of June.

Şahin added that they would complete sending all 120 million doses in July, August, and September 2021. "We will work day and night to send vaccines to Turkey on time," Uğur Şahin reportedly said.

Underlining that they tried the vaccine on more than 30 virus variants, Şahin said that it also works against mutations: "We also tested the Indian mutation this week. Our vaccine has 25-30 percent efficiency against the Indian variant. We expect 70-75 percent protection from infection."

Stressing that high antibodies are achieved after the first dose of BioNTech vaccine in those who are infected, he said that this antibody level is the same as people who were not infected and got two vaccine doses. (EKN/SD)