Health Ministry seeks authorization for COVID-19 vaccine Turkovac

Health Ministry seeks authorization for COVID-19 vaccine Turkovac

The emergency authorization application for the domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine Turkovac has been submitted to the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (TITCK), Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced Thursday, TurkicWorld reports citing Daily Sabah.

Koca was speaking in the capital Ankara during the Planning and Budget Commission meeting at Parliament.

The vaccine, previously known as ERUCOV-VAC, is an inactive COVID-19 vaccine. A similar jab, CoronaVac developed by Chinese firm Sinovac, had formed the backbone of the country's vaccination program before messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines were available in greater numbers.

The Phase 3 trials of the vaccine are almost complete, a member of the Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board recently said.

In a separate statement, Koca said Wednesday that Turkey will donate 10 million vaccine doses through the COVAX facility, a mechanism to get vaccines to underdeveloped countries

The health minister and World Health Organization's Regional Director Hans Kluge also spoke via telephone Wednesday.

"We can only manage this pandemic with solidarity. As we face a difficult winter, I am grateful to @drfahrettinkoca & Turkey for the generous offer to receive #COVID19 patients if needed, to support European countries with overwhelmed health systems & ICUs," Kluge wrote on Twitter.

"Turkey has set a positive example of global solidarity, providing 160 countries and 29 international organizations with #COVID19 supplies, as well as donating over 2 million doses of vaccine to 11 countries since the pandemic began. My thanks to Dr. Koca and Turkey," he added.

Koca also said on Twitter that the COVID-19 pandemic has lasted longer than expected and has demoralized and demotivated people, yet, the reality still remains with high infection and death rates.

"But with the high number of cases and deaths, the truth is in front of us, again and again, every day. We cannot ignore COVID-19," Koca added, urging a determined fight against the pandemic.

Health care workers, who have received two doses of an inactivated vaccine and later a booster shot of messenger RNA (mRNA) or an inactivated vaccine, will be able to get another shot, Koca said in a statement after a Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board meeting.

During the meeting, the health minister said treatments used in epidemic management have been reassessed, and discussions on the use of antiviral drug Favipiravir were addressed.

"The data collected by our ministry was discussed in our scientific committee meeting, and it was clearly demonstrated that the drug does not have any significant side effects," he said.

He also underlined the decision was made to add the antiviral drug Molnupiravir to the treatment guide.