Turkey begins second phase trials of domestic covid vaccine

Some 189 volunteers were yesterday injected with the second dose of Turkey’s locally developed coronavirus vaccine, CNN Turk reported.

The ERUCOV-VAC vaccine is being developed at Erciyes University with the support from Turkey’s Institutes of Health Administration (TUSEB), the news site reported.

Volunteers received the first dose of the inoculation last month.

Head of Erciyes University in Kayseri, Dr. Mustafa Calis, said that the vaccination of 189 volunteers has been completed so far within the scope of Phase-2 studies.

“We are very happy that no side effects have been seen so far. I hope Phase 2 vaccination will end towards the end of April,” said Calis.

Turkey has vaccinated more than ten million people so far, the Health Ministry announced on Monday.

Some 7.6 million were given the first dose of the Chinese CoronaVac vaccine, while another 2.4 million people received two jabs.

Turkey plans to vaccinate 50 million people by autumn in order to combat the spread of coronavirus.

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