Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Opinion
  • Columns
  • Op-Ed
  • Reader's Corner
  • Editorial

Coronavirus vaccine: We finally see the light

by Nagehan Alçı

Dec 12, 2020 - 12:05 am GMT+3
An engineer works on a COVID-19 vaccine at a laboratory of the Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac, Beijing, China, Sept. 24, 2020. (AFP Photo)
An engineer works on a COVID-19 vaccine at a laboratory of the Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac, Beijing, China, Sept. 24, 2020. (AFP Photo)
by Nagehan Alçı Dec 12, 2020 12:05 am

The first shipment of China’s Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine is arriving in Turkey this week. A total of 50 million people, half of whom are expected to be vaccinated by the end of February, are planned to be inoculated.

I should say that this is a huge number. Bigger numbers have been announced for the U.S. and European countries; however, the due date is usually not given.

Germany will have vaccinated only 11 million by the end of March, according to the German health ministry.

Why has Turkey chosen the Chinese vaccine? Why does the West buy Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna in big numbers whereas Turkey mainly stocks up with the Chinese vaccine? Is there a difference in credibility and safety between these vaccines? Can the Chinese vaccine be described as “bon pour l’orient,” a condescending French phrase meaning “good for the Orient”?

I asked all these questions to different scientists and the Turkish Health Ministry as well. The answers I got comforted me. The Chinese vaccine is proven to be in the same range of safety as Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna's vaccines.

The U.S. and the European Union prefer American and European products not necessarily because they are superior to the Chinese vaccine but because of economic and political rivalries between China and the West.

It is not possible to expect the U.S. to buy the Chinese vaccine given that it is already working on its own, like Europe.

Nevertheless, Turkey does not feel obliged to act according to political calculations. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s administration wants to buy the vaccine as fast as possible and make the delivery as fast as possible. That is why the Health Ministry made the deal with China at an early stage.

The Chinese vaccine is an inactive vaccine and is created from old viruses. Human bodies are familiar with this system of vaccines. However, the other vaccines are new generation. They employ the mRNA technique, so their potential side effects are more difficult to guess.

All in all, I believe that as soon as a vaccine has approval, it is safe to use. I am not one of those who speculate about vaccines: We don’t have that luxury after having lost thousands of lives.

The world should return to normal, and we should prevent the loss of more lives as soon as possible. Instead of asking “which vaccine,” we should start asking where and how to get the approved vaccines.

I believe that by the beginning of spring, the pandemic will be under control in most of the world. Turkey will be one of the early birds controlling COVID-19 if everything goes as expected.

  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    covid-19 vaccine coronavirus sinovac pfizer biontech coronavirus pandemic china turkish healthcare
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    A crude oil tanker sails in the Bosporus, on its way to the Mediterranean Sea, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Dec. 11, 2022. (Reuters Photo)

    Türkiye registers better-than-expected current account gap

    current-account-balance
     Eastern Anatolian Fault line triggered another fault segment called the Sürgü fault, Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara, Feb. 9, 2023. (DHA Photo)

    Accumulated tension of hundreds of years moved Anatolia by 3m

    Harold-Tobin

    Istanbul's spectacular, historical grand bazaars and markets

    Travel

    Istanbul's consulate chronicles: Sudhi Choudhary, Consul General of India

    SUDHI-CHOUDHARY
    No Image
    Pandemic threatens Thai shelter for disabled stray dogs
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021