Turkey's domestic COVID-19 vaccine Turkovac approved for emergency use

By Jeyhun Aliyev and Zehra Nur Duz

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine Turkovac has been approved for emergency use, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced on Wednesday.

"As of today, we have become one of the nine countries producing a COVID-19 vaccine," he said.

Turkovac will be in widespread use as of next week, Koca stressed.

Since early in the vaccine's development, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to make it available globally, saying it will be used to benefit all humanity.

“Our COVID-19 vaccine Turkovac, which has come to the production and usage stage by receiving the necessary approvals, is a symbol of our efforts to protect our nation against the pandemic in the most effective way,” said Erdogan.