As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread aggressively, vaccine research offers cautious hope. With late-stage trials underway in multiple countries, many are wondering whether the coronavirus vaccine will be covered by Turkey’s Social Security Institution (SGK).
Vaccine from China to Be Covered by SGK
Significant progress is being made in developing a vaccine for the coronavirus, which has affected the entire world and caused widespread cases and fatalities in Turkey. After several pharmaceutical companies advanced toward ready vaccines, questions arose about how these vaccines will be distributed in Turkey. Chief among them: will SGK cover the cost of the coronavirus vaccine? Health Minister Fahrettin Koca addressed this issue. He announced that negotiations with the China-based manufacturer Sinovac have concluded and that 10 million doses will arrive in Turkey soon. The vaccines imported from China will be administered free of charge with no fee requested. However, those who prefer vaccines from other manufacturers will need to pay for them.
Koca clarified that Turkish citizens will not be charged for the vaccines and that the inoculations will be free and provided under the general health insurance scheme. Vaccines developed by other manufacturers will undergo separate authorization procedures. Once those approvals are completed, these alternative vaccines will be sold at pharmacies for a fee. In other words, if people decline the Sinovac vaccine provided free by the state, they can opt to purchase approved vaccines in pharmacies at their own expense. The initial allocation of the 10 million doses is expected to prioritize patients with chronic illnesses and healthcare workers.
What Is the Status of Vaccine Research?
Following the agreement to purchase 10 million doses from China, questions remain about how effective the imported vaccine will be. Globally, vaccine development is proceeding rapidly across multiple companies. Russia has already begun using a domestically developed vaccine after granting approval, and approval processes are expected to proceed quickly for candidates developed in the United States. At present, around 52 vaccine candidates are in various stages of testing worldwide, with 17 showing promising results so far.
Historically, vaccine development for past outbreaks often took years, but the severe disruption caused by the coronavirus has accelerated efforts by pharmaceutical companies and governments to authorize vaccines more quickly. Trials proceed through multiple phases, and vaccines that demonstrate sufficient efficacy in these phases become eligible for authorization.
How Are Turkey’s Own Vaccine Efforts Progressing?
Turkey has also been conducting its own vaccine research for some time, and the decision to order 10 million doses from China has raised questions about the future of domestic projects. Currently, about 15 local vaccine studies are underway in Turkey, many already in volunteer trials. Several local efforts are using an inactivated-virus approach similar to Sinovac’s technique. In addition, Pfizer-BioNTech candidate vaccines have been tested on volunteers in Turkey; around 500 people have received that vaccine so far with no unexpected adverse effects reported.
The Sinovac vaccine recently entered trials on volunteers in Turkey as well. So far, 730 volunteers have received the Sinovac doses, and the Ministry of Health reported positive preliminary results. After healthcare personnel, voluntary citizens will be able to participate in vaccination. Trials for this vaccine are expected to expand to approximately 12,500 participants. The company continues phase studies in Turkey, which influences the eventual amount of vaccine procured. Experts caution, however, that even if a manufacturer demonstrates a successful vaccine, understanding its full effects will likely require waiting until the end of 2021.