Ankara, Dec 10 (Agency) Turkish citizens will be vaccinated against the coronavirus disease for free, the country’s Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Wednesday, adding that the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines would be delivered as soon as next week. “Next week we will receive vaccines. They will be tested, and if they pass all the tests, they will be allowed for use. They will be administered twice with a break of 14 days free of charge for citizens. Negotiations on alternative vaccines that meet our standards and requirements are underway,” Koca told reporters.
The minister also expressed hope that the vaccine would finally help bring an end to the pandemic. In late November, Koca said that the coronavirus pandemic in several regions across Turkey, including in Istanbul, had reached its third peak. In recent weeks, the country repeatedly registered record-high numbers of daily infections and fatalities. Earlier in the day, the Turkish Health Ministry reported a new single-day record of 31,712 COVID-19 cases and 217 deaths, which brings the country’s total cases to 558,517 and 15,531 coronavirus related deaths.