Turkey Begins COVID-19 Vaccination with China's Sinovac Vaccine

[Asia Economy Reporter Suyeon Woo] Turkey began administering the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine produced by the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac on the 14th (local time).

On this day, the Turkish government started vaccination focusing on the primary recipients, including healthcare workers, the elderly, and people with disabilities. After deciding to import 50 million doses (single-dose units) of the Sinovac vaccine, Turkey conducted inspections and tests on the vaccine for 14 days and approved its emergency use on this day.

Fahrettin Koca, Turkey's Minister of Health, stated, "The vaccines have arrived at health centers in all 81 provinces," adding, "Operating the vaccination program transparently is our top priority." Minister Koca encouraged vaccination by publicly receiving the Sinovac vaccine himself as the first person in Turkey to do so.

Alongside the Chinese vaccine, Turkey also decided to import up to 30 million doses of the vaccine jointly developed by the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer and the German company BioNTech. On the previous day, Turkey reported 9,554 new confirmed cases within 24 hours, with a cumulative total of 2,355,839 confirmed cases.

Fahrettin Koca, Turkey's Minister of Health, is receiving a COVID-19 vaccine injection on the 13th (local time) in the capital Ankara. Photo by AP/United Press International [Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, Russia, which began large-scale vaccination for the general public in December, plans to expand vaccination to all residents starting from the 18th.

According to local media, on the 13th (local time), Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed relevant ministries to establish the infrastructure necessary to vaccinate all residents with the Russian-made 'Sputnik V vaccine.' Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova also mentioned that preparations are complete to start vaccinating all residents from the 18th and that they will coordinate with regional governments.

Moscow, where COVID-19 cases are concentrated, decided to extend the quarantine restrictions implemented since the end of last year for one more week until the 21st, and on this day, 5,893 new confirmed cases were reported in Moscow alone.