Turkish President Erdogan Receives Chinese Sinovac Vaccine... Efficacy Remains a Mystery

Start of Nationwide Vaccination with Chinese Vaccines
Immune Efficacy Varies by Country...50-90%

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan marked the start of nationwide COVID-19 vaccinations by receiving the coronavirus vaccine developed by China's Sinovac. The Turkish government plans to begin vaccinating approximately 1.1 million healthcare workers designated as priority recipients starting from this day. However, as health authorities in different countries have reported varying figures regarding the immune efficacy of the Sinovac vaccine, trust in its effectiveness and safety remains low, and further controversy is expected.

According to foreign media such as CNN, on the 14th (local time), President Erdogan received the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine at a municipal hospital in Ankara, the capital. The Turkish presidential office released footage of Erdogan receiving the vaccine and announced that nationwide vaccination would begin on this day. Prior to Erdogan's vaccination, Fahrettin Koca, Turkey's Minister of Health, was the first to be vaccinated in Turkey, followed by vaccinations for high-ranking officials.

At a press conference immediately after receiving the vaccine, Minister Koca stated, "Senior officials will set an example by getting vaccinated first," and emphasized, "I want to stress that everyone must get vaccinated. We must receive the vaccine to return to normal life." The Turkish government has designated healthcare workers, the elderly, and people with disabilities as the first group for vaccination and plans to vaccinate high-risk groups in four stages. It is reported that vaccinations for approximately 1.1 million healthcare workers will be completed within this month.

Earlier, the Turkish government signed a contract to import 50 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine, and the initial shipment of 3 million doses arrived on the 30th of last month. After a 14-day vaccine trial, the Turkish Ministry of Health approved its use, and vaccinations began on this day. The Turkish government has also contracted to import 30 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine jointly developed by the U.S. Pfizer and German BioNTech.

However, the Sinovac vaccine's reported preventive effectiveness varies widely from 50% to 90% according to different countries' health authorities, raising doubts about its efficacy and fueling ongoing debate about its use. Previously, the S?o Paulo state government in Brazil announced an immune efficacy of 78% for the Sinovac vaccine, Turkey's health authorities reported 91%, Indonesia's health authorities reported 65%, and Brazil's Butantan Institute reported 50%, showing significant discrepancies in efficacy figures among countries' health authorities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.