Gov’t to turn to YouTubers to encourage young people to get vaccinated

ISTANBUL

As COVID-19 cases are seen most among young people, the Turkish Health Ministry is expanding its efforts and seeking cooperation with YouTube influencers to encourage the youth to get their jabs and eliminate vaccine skepticism in the country.

Determining that there is a slowdown in Turkey’s inoculation drive due to those who have already received two doses of the Sinovac vaccine but have skipped their third booster shot and people aged between 18 and 24, the authorities decided to take a concrete step since nearly 40 percent of active COVID-19 cases were seen in those under the age of 23.

Aiming to speed up the vaccination campaign and reduce the transmission rate, the ministry is preparing to cooperate with YouTube influencers to reach young people and explain the importance of the vaccination, however there is no clear information about the details of the plan yet.

“Young people must be vaccinated in order to maintain their social life, go to their schools comfortably and protect the health of their loved ones,” Professor Sema Kultufan Turan from the Health Ministry’s Coronavirus Science Board told daily Hürriyet.

Noting that there were nearly three million citizens who have received two doses of vaccines but have skipped their third shot and considered unvaccinated, the expert stated that the majority of these people are over 65 years old and in the risk group.

“It is very important that young people are vaccinated immediately in order to protect the health of these people and not to infect them,” Turan added.

Kenan Midilli, another member of the Science Board, does not paint a worrywart picture about the last point reached in the vaccination campaign.

“We are not in a bad situation in terms of the number of doses, but we are not in a very bright spot in terms of the third doses,” Midilli said, referring to those who had two doses of the Sinovac vaccine but did not receive the rest.
He confirmed that there is a significant problem in the vaccination of people between the ages of 18 and 24, although the country has no problems with the supply of vaccines, claiming that these young people were confused by the anti-vaccination posts on social media.

The expert said false information was being spread that the vaccine is causing infertility or sexual dysfunction, adding that the opposite is the case and the risk arises when the disease is experienced.