Turkey to start vaccinating people aged over 50

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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The Health Ministry's Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board convened in a virtual meeting yesterday (May 26). Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has addressed the public following the meeting.

Noting that the Advisory Board discussed the course of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and ongoing vaccination efforts in Turkey, Koca has thanked citizens for abiding by the restrictions and measures that have been eased following a 17-day 'full lockdown.'

He has stressed that restrictions will be gradually eased in the normalization period, warning that individual measures will come to the fore at this stage. He has said that they aim to realize widespread vaccination.

Accordingly, Minister Koca has announced that the people aged over 50 will start to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as of June 1, 2021.

'One of the fastest vaccination campaigns'

As reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), Minister Koca has reminded the public that Turkey made a deal to bring 100 million doses of the inactive vaccine to Turkey, adding that nearly 30 million doses have been delivered to Turkey and administered to people so far.

"In the days when the vaccine procurement was the most problematic, we managed to run one of the fastest vaccination campaigns of the world," Minister Koca has said in praise of their vaccination efforts.

He has also "thanked the authorities in China for their support and understanding", saying, "Despite all attempts, we have mutually made great efforts to maintain the deal and good relations between us."

Turkey made the first deal for a COVID-19 vaccine with China's SinoVac company for its inactive CoronaVac vaccine. CoronaVac was the only vaccine administered in Turkey for a long time, until the country also made a deal and received Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine. The country is now also poised to administer Sputnik V vaccine developed in Russia.

BioNTech vaccine

Speaking about the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in this context, Health Minister Koca has reminded the public that they have been following the vaccine since the beginning of its Phase 3 trials in Turkey.

He has noted that Turkey signed a deal with the company on December 27, 2020 to buy 30 million doses of the vaccine, adding that this number has recently been increased to 120 million doses.

According to Fahrettin Koca, while 30 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine are expected to arrive in Turkey in June 2021, the first batch has already been delivered. "Earlier next week, nearly 5 million doses will arrive in our country," he has said.

'We signed a deal for 270 million doses'

Speaking about the Sputnik V vaccine of Russia, Health Minister Koca has said that since the vaccine was first developed, they have been making efforts for its procurement. Noting that a deal was signed to buy 50 million doses of Sputnik V, Koca has thanked the authorities in Russia.

He hsa said that Turkey has so far made deals for 270 thousand doses of COVID-19 vaccines, which is more than three times the population.

Local vaccine research

Concluding his remarks, Fahrettin Koca has also talked about the ongoing vaccine research in Turkey. He has announced that the country has reached the last stage in its local vaccine research.

According to Koca, there are three vaccine candidates of Turkey, the phase trials of which are still ongoing, and one of these vaccines has reached the last phase of human trials, namely the Phase 3 trials. He has said that the Phase 3 trials will start in the shortest possible time. (TP/SD)