Turkey to start vaccinations with Sinovac, Pfizer/BioNTech

(FILE PHOTO) In this Friday, July 10, 2020, file photo, a man waves a Turkish flag outside the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia, one of Istanbul’s main tourist attractions in the historic Sultanahmet district of Istanbul. (AP File Photo/Emrah Gurel, File)

ISTANBUL — Turkey will receive its first shipment of China’s Sinovac vaccine within days and also strike a deal with Pfizer/BioNTech, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said Thursday.

Turkey will initially receive three million doses of Sinovac and have the option for 50 million more as it begins inoculations next month, starting with healthcare workers and the most vulnerable.

Koca said the first shipments of the Chinese vaccine will be sent to Turkey on Sunday.

Turkey in the next few days will also sign a deal with Pfizer/BioNTech for 4.5 million doses, with the option to buy 30 million more from the US pharmaceutical giant and its German partner, Koca said.

Turkey “will be able to vaccinate 1.5 million or even two million people per day,” he said, adding that the “first stage” of vaccinations will cover nine million people.

The nation of 83 million has officially recorded 19,115 COVID-19 deaths and 2.2 million virus infections.