Vaccine halves infections among senior citizens in Turkey

By Yesim SertKaraaslan

ANKARA (AA) – COVID-19 infections among vaccinated individuals aged 65 and above have decreased by half when compared with the months of January until April, according to an official of the Turkish Health Ministry.

Dr. Mustafa Necmi Ilhan, a member of the Health Ministry's science board, said people aged 65 and above, along with those with at least one chronic disease, were at the greatest risk of catching the virus.

After getting fully vaccinated, this group has been largely protected against the virus, he said.

The Turkish official went on to say that this group made up 17.5% of all infections nationwide on Jan. 1. However, this figure dropped to 8.2% as of mid-May, which he argued was an indicator of the effectiveness of the vaccination.

Although getting both doses of the vaccine means greater protection, he said those vaccinated must continue to act in line with the measures adopted by the Health Ministry to stem spread of the virus.

He added that after getting vaccinated senior citizens will be able to go outdoors and avoid mental health troubles that occur because of staying indoors for extended periods of time.

Turkey has administered over 26.48 million coronavirus jabs since launching a mass vaccination campaign on Jan. 14, according to official figures.

More than 15.17 million people have received their first doses, while over 11.30 million have been fully vaccinated.

*Writing by Ali Murat Alhas