- Turkey announced on Thursday that it is asking some people earlier vaccinated with a Chinese vaccine to receive a booster shot as protection from the fast-spreading Delta Covid variant
- Turkish officials said the public should receive the third vaccination, regardless of the type of vaccination they earlier received
- Besides Turkey, Bahrain is also offering boosters to people who received two doses of a vaccine made by Chinese drugmaker Sinopharm
ISTANBUL, Turkey: Turkey announced on Thursday that it is asking some people earlier vaccinated with a Chinese vaccine to receive a booster shot as protection from the fast-spreading Delta Covid variant.
The booster will be offered to people over age 50, as well as health care workers, according to Health Minister Fahrettin Koca.
Turkish officials said the public should receive the third vaccination, regardless of the type of vaccination they earlier received.
Turkey has administered both the Pfizer and Chinese Sinovac vaccinations.
The Turkish Ministry of Health has said boosters are being offered because some healthcare workers and older people received their vaccinations six months ago, according to the Wall Street Journal. At that time, Turkey was only offering the Sinovac vaccine.
Besides Turkey, Bahrain is also offering boosters to people who received two doses of a vaccine made by Chinese drugmaker Sinopharm. The United Arab Emirates is now administering third doses of the Sinopharm vaccine. Doctors there have said the Chinese vaccine has not always produced enough protective antibodies.
Turkey began its vaccine campaign in January, administering only the Sinovac vaccine. In March it began offering the Pfizer vaccination.
Meanwhile, Turkey has reached an agreement with Pfizer to receive 120 million doses of the vaccine by September, according to the health ministry.
Turkey reported vaccinating an average of 733,238 people per day over the past week, which is one of the highest daily vaccination rates in the world.
