Turkey passes 60 million-dose mark in vaccinations

ISTANBUL

Turkey has surpassed a 60 million-dose mark in the number of COVID-19 vaccines administered in its inoculation campaign that began in mid-January.

According to data from the country’s Health Ministry, well over 38 million people have been given their first doses of the injection, while more than 18 million people have been fully vaccinated against the deadly virus.

In a message on Twitter on July 13, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca renewed his call for the public to get their coronavirus shots.

“Vaccinations will bring the pandemic to an end. Get your vaccine for a safer tomorrow,” he said.

The minister also posted a map showing the virus cases on provincial basis for July 3 and July 9, which confirmed Koca’s earlier warnings that low-vaccinated regions were facing risks.

The provinces which had the highest number of infections per 100,000 people were the ones with low vaccination rates. For instance, in the southeastern province of Siirt the number of cases per 100,000 people was 232. Only 34 percent of the population aged 18 and above in this city have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, well below the national average of 62 percent.

In the eastern province of Ağrı, where a little more than 43 percent of the population have been given the first dose, the number of cases for 100,000 people was 194.

The pandemic outlook in Ankara, the second largest city, and İzmir, the country’s third most populous province, improved over the week. The number of cases per 100,000 people in the capital declined from 72 a week earlier to 59, whereas in İzmir the infections dropped from 23.5 to 22.1. In both cities, the vaccination rate is well above the national average.

In Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, however, the number of cases per 100,000 people inched up from 54.6 to 56.7. Some 62 percent of the city’s population aged 18 and above have been given their first doses of the coronavirus vaccine.