As the pandemic eases globally thanks to nearly 3 billion COVID-19 doses administered worldwide so far, Turkey has managed to get a top spot among the countries inoculating their citizens against the disease, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah.
According to information gathered from Oxford University’s Ourworldindata.org website, the country with the most vaccines administered is China with over 1.12 billion jabs, followed by the United States with over 320 million, India with over 300 million, Brazil with nearly 93 million, the United Kingdom with 75.5 million, Germany with 70.5 million, France with nearly 49 million, Italy with 48.3 million and Turkey with over 46 million doses.
Meanwhile, Turkey rolled out a new stage in its coronavirus vaccination drive Friday, with people over the age of 18 now able to get their jabs. They will be the last group to be vaccinated as the Health Ministry tries to convince those who were in previously eligible groups but who have shunned doses to reconsider.
With appointments open, youth rushed to the online appointment app and filled hospitals and clinics on Friday morning for their shots. It was a much-anticipated stage in the pandemic for youngsters, who were repeatedly warned to adhere to coronavirus measures as a group, thought to be least affected by the virus but more prone to easily infecting others. Their inclusion will boost vaccination numbers, which reached more than 46 million on Friday, with 14.7 million people now being fully vaccinated.
“Everyone should get vaccinated. We have to trust the science of medicine and we need to protect ourselves,” 19-year-old Ece Çelikkol said as she arrived at the Ankara City Hospital in the capital for vaccination.
Aslı Cansu Bora, 21, said she was afraid of the potential side effects of vaccines but decided to have it as “a citizen with awareness of the need for vaccination to overcome the pandemic.”
Dr. Selmani Doğan, the deputy chief physician of Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital in Istanbul, said they were seeing an increasing demand for vaccination. He told that more young people are expected next week as this weekend’s university admission exams may disrupt registrations.
Doğan said they also sent crews to shopping malls and outdoor venues to set up vaccination booths to increase the drive. “The Health Ministry has a vaccination schedule and it is very busy now. We have to prioritize vaccination to return to normal life, to return to the days when we did not have to wear masks,” Doğan said.
Yaman Erdoğan, a 19-year-old university student, said he applied for vaccination because he wanted his school to be fully reopened for in-person education without the risk of infections.