Turkey administers first coronavirus vaccine on volunteer health worker

Turkey's first coronavirus vaccine was administered on Sept. 28 in Istanbul University. A 53-year-old health worker volunteered to receive the shot, and said that he hoped it would eliminate the pandemic soon.

Duvar English

Turkey's first coronavirus vaccine, developed in China, was administered to a health worker on Sept. 28 in Istanbul University's Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty.

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Asım Baştürk, 53 years old, volunteered for the phase 3 test of the vaccine, kicking off the latest stage of its development.

"I volunteered for this of my own will. Of course, we want this [virus] which is creating trouble for Turkey and the world to be eliminated soon," he said.

Giving a break up of patients they attended to since March, faculty dean Dr. Mustafa Sait Gönen said that out of 335,000 patients who visited the facility; 27,000 were treated for COVID-19 and 77,000 tests were conducted.

"This is an important day for the Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty. This struggle [against the virus] continues in Cerrahpaşa, as in other hospitals and in the world," he added.