Turkey plans daily 1.5 million vaccinations, says expert

ANKARA - Demirören News Agency

Turkey plans to vaccinate around 1.5 million people a day against COVID-19 and the jab could be administered to up to 60 million to 65 million by the end of June, an expert has said.

Ankara, which has signed a deal to buy at least 50 million doses of an injection being developed by China, is preparing to roll out a massive vaccination drive at the end of December.

“The vaccination teams will be made up of three people and each team is expected to vaccinate a little more than 200 people a day,” said Professor Mustafa Necmi İlhan from the Health Ministry’s Social Sciences Board.

He recalled that the vaccination program will not include pregnant women, people under the age of 18 and those who have recovered from the virus within the past six months.

Considering that Turkey has a population of 83 million, some 60 to 65 million people will be vaccinated by the end of June, İlhan said, adding that the injection drive will start simultaneously across the country.

“Normally, vaccinations are carried out by family health centers, community health centers and hospitals. This time round, however, besides those public health institutions, workplace doctors will take part in the COVID-19 vaccinations in organized industrial zones and large enterprises,” he noted.

Residents of nursing homes and inmates will be administered the jab at the institutions they are staying, according to İlhan.

“Family physicians inform people about when they will be injected. This is a comprehensive vaccination strategy,” he said, reminding that vaccination will be offered to the public free of charge.

There is no widespread anti-vaccine sentiment among the public, but people are rather reluctant about the COVID-19 injections, according to İnal.

“People are asking themselves which vaccine they should be injected, Chinese or American [Pfizer]? Otherwise, I personally observe that people have a positive view of the vaccine,” he said.