Turkey vaccine volunteers share their experience

Volunteers taking part in Turkey's coronavirus vaccine trial have spoken of ir experience as country prepares to roll out protection against virus within weeks. Ankara has ordered 50 million doses of Beijing-based Sivac's COVID-19 vaccine, CoronaVac.

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said last week first batch was expected to arrive within days and mass vaccination could start at end of December or early January. Some 12,500 volunteers are taking part in Phase 3 trials of vaccine across Turkey but full vaccination programme is expected to start before trial is completed.

Emine Bozyigit, a 56-year-old dentist, is taking part in trial at Acibem private hospital in Istanbul's Kucukcekmece district. She said she felt Sivac dose, a tritional vaccine that uses de viral particles to spark an immune response without risking a serious reaction, was "slightly safer" than or vaccines. Her sons were also taking part in trial.

Aviation worker Eren Bozyigit, 25, described trial as "an unkwn." He said he was t worried about Turkey starting vaccinations among general population before end of trial as Sivac Phase 3 trials h been completed in or countries with serious side effects recorded.

"We want to contribute to this scientific study and, on or hand, we want to inspire people, if possible," he ded.

His bror Mert Baran Bozyigit, 29, an industrial engineer, said trial was a good "opportunity" for him to potentialy get vaccinated before general rollout, even though he did t kw wher he was injected with vaccine or a placebo. As a young man, he would have been in last part of Turkey's 83 million population to receive vaccine.

Meanwhile, healthcare worker Asil Mert Korkmaz, 25, will be among first to be vaccinated. "I'm t worried about getting a placebo," he said. "I will be one of first to be called after se trials are finished so it won't matter much." Turkey's Medicine and Medical Devices ncy last week anunced a change in regulations to allow vaccine to be ministered generally before trial's end.

Phase 3 trials of Sivac have also been carried out in Indonesia and Brazil with serious side effects reported. Koca said Turkey would seek furr Sivac doses, which can be stored in standard refrigerators, as well as seeking or vaccines. Chinese vaccine is ministered in two doses, 14 to 21 days apart and treatment will be given free to Turkish citizens.

Dr. Iftihar Koksal, infectious disease and clinical microbiology specialist at hospital, said at least 75% of population would have to be vaccinated to significantly reduce transmission of virus. "It's been shown re are fatal side effects because it was done to thousands of people around world," she said of Sivac. Koksal ded that early approval h been given to vaccination because of vaccine's efficacy and lack of side effects. hospital is one of 25 centers involved in trial in Turkey, with 500 people participating.