Turkey’s Health Ministry assures public on flu shots amid pandemic concerns 

As demands mount for influenza vaccines in the middle of the coronavirus outbreak, the Health Ministry dismissed concerns of a shortage. In a written statement on Wednesday, the ministry said “connections” were established to obtain more flu shots than previous years, but limited production supplies worldwide mean Turkey will receive vaccines “gradually.”

The ministry said vaccinations would be “gradual” and it would prioritize those classified as at-risk. Citizens can find out whether they are eligible to be prioritized based on their health status through a Health Ministry app called e-nabız, which tracks the health condition of users with data collected from their hospital visits. The doctor's prescription will be sent to an online system that tracks every case, and the vaccines will be available in pharmacies only.

Last week Health Minister Fahrettin Koca issued warnings about a potential rise in infectious diseases due to flu season. “We have entered the fall season, which poses a considerable threat compared with summer months. We will spend the majority of our time in indoor places. That means the coronavirus will have a greater chance to spread as we will have difficulty maintaining social distance,” Koca said on Friday at a press conference in the eastern province of Erzurum. “In short, fall will be an opportunistic time for the coronavirus. If we consider the usual flu infections, you can see the graveness of the situation. Just like coronavirus, the flu is a respiratory infection. You can protect yourself from both viruses with the same measures. I ask everyone to keep practicing the precautions,” the minister said.