Turkey set to finalize testing China's vaccine, announces procedures for mass vaccination

Photo: AA

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Turkey will finalize testing China's coronavirus vaccine today (January 13) after which mass vaccination will commence.

Three million doses of the vaccine produced by SinoVac reached Turkey on December 30.

The efficacy rate of the vaccine was announced as 65.3 percent by Indonesia. Brazil, another country that bought the vaccine, announced its efficacy as 78 percent at first but later updated it as 50.4 percent.

The results of an interim analysis by Turkey found in December that the vaccine was 91.25 percent effective.

They were transferred to a medical storage facility of the Health Ministry.

Samples of the vaccine were taken to a laboratory of the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (TITCK) for a testing period of 14 days.

If test results are positive, the vaccine will get an urgent usage approval by the TITCK.

The vaccines will be distributed to the provinces in chiller trucks to maintain the cold-chain.

The four steps

Vaccinations in the country will be a four-step procedure.

In the first step, health care workers, people aged 65 and above, and adults living in crowded places such as shelters will be vaccinated.

In the next step, essential workers, people above 50 years of age and those with at least one chronic disease will be vaccinated.

In the third phase, people under 50 with at least one chronic disease, young adults and those who have jobs will be vaccinated.

In the final phase, all the remaining individuals will be vaccinated.

Citizens will have to take an online appointment to receive the jab.

The ministry will also introduce a mobile app named "Aşıla" (Vaccinate), which people will have to install to receive the vaccine.

There will be two doses administered with a 28-day interval.

Since December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has claimed more than 1.94 million lives in 191 countries and regions, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University.

With the pandemic gaining momentum over the last week worldwide, many people look forward to vaccines for immunization. (TP/VK)