With Turkey’s daily coronavirus deaths rising to a record 203 on Monday, the government reportedly said it could start administering China's Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine by the end of the month.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca on Tuesday said that analysis for domestic licensing was now complete.
Turkey recorded 32,137 new coronavirus cases, including asymptomatic ones, in the 24 hours to Tuesday evening. For four months, Ankara reported only daily symptomatic cases but has reported all cases since November 25. Historical data for all cases and the cumulative case total are still not available.
Turkey was on lockdown at the weekend to combat the recent surge in daily deaths and new infections. On Friday, Turkey had 32,736 new cases, the highest number since the beginning of the pandemic in March.
Despite the record daily death toll and high rate of new infections, Mr Koca said the measures were working but urged citizens to implement their own restrictions and avoid crowds.
"The rate of increase for seriously ill patients is falling. The effect of the restrictions has started showing. We hope we will feel them more soon," Mr Koca said on Twitter.
On Tuesday, Sozcu newspaper reported Mr Koca saying shipments of Sinovac's Coronavac vaccine will arrive after December 11. The vaccine, which is undergoing Phase 3 trials in Turkey and other countries, will need another two weeks of testing and analysis, it said.
In November, Turkey signed a contract to buy 50 million doses of Coronavac, to be delivered in batches between December and February.
Preliminary trial results announced last month showed the vaccine triggered a quick immune response, but the level of antibodies produced was lower than in people who had recovered from the virus.
In Brazil, where Coronavac has also been undergoing late-stage testing, Sao Paulo's Butantan Institute biomedical centre said last week it expected Sinovac to publish efficacy results from its vaccine trials by December 15.
Mr Koca said Turkey, with a population of 83 million, wanted to buy more vaccines from China but had been unable to do so, and was looking to Moscow and other possible suppliers to fill the gap until domestic production can meet demand.
"We are completing the missing toxicology part of Russian vaccine – we might buy that vaccine afterwards," he said.
Turkey is also in talks to increase the amount of coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech, from an initial one million doses, Sozcu reported.
"They said they can provide 25 million doses in 2021. Turkey won't be needing vaccine after April as Turkish vaccine will be used," Mr Koca said.
Coronavirus around the world
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A worker counts oxygen tanks in a factory amid shortage of oxygen cylinders as Covid-19 cases rise, in Peshawar, Pakistan. EPA -
Vehicles line up to enter a testing site at Dodger Stadium on the first day of new stay-at-home orders in Los Angeles, California. AFP -
Few people use the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) system in downtown Atlanta where tourism and businesses have been hard hit by coronavirus. AFP -
A tented area which had been used for outdoor restaurant dining at Denny's stands empty on the first day of new stay-at-home orders on December 7, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. AFP -
Mannequins adorned with protective face masks are pictured in a window at The Grove shopping center during a partial lockdown amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in Los Angeles, California, US. Reuters -
A person uses her mobile phone at sunset from Griffith Observatory during a partial lockdown, in Los Angeles, California. Reuters -
Binasa Musovic (left), an educational paraprofessional and Chris Frank, a teacher at Yung Wing School P.S. 124, teach blended learning students during the first day back to school in New York City. AFP -
Medical staff member Anita Pandey holds a Christmas decoration at the nursing station in the Covid-19 ward at the United Memorial Medical Centre in Houston, Texas. AFP -
Principal Alice Hom (centre) meets parents who are picking their children up during dismissal on the first day back to school in New York City. AFP -
Few people walk through the streets of downtown Atlanta where tourism and businesses have been hard hit by coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 07, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. Many parts of Georgia are experiencing the largest surge in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases since the summer. Georgia hit a new single-day record of more than 6,000 suspected and confirmed infections on Friday, which pushed the state's rolling 7-day average to nearly 4,300. AFP -
An ornamental garden bird wears a face mask outside a home in Manchester, UK. Getty Images -
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, visit a food bank at Old Smithfield Market on the second day of a three-day tour across the country in Manchester, England. During the tour the royal couple will visit communities, outstanding individuals and key workers to thank them for their efforts during the coronavirus pandemic. Getty Images
