Turkey could receive up to 4.5 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine developed by BioNTech and Pfizer by the end of March, with a potential of up to 30 million by the end of 2021, BioNTech co-founder and CEO Uğur Şahin said on Saturday.
Şahin’s comments came a day after Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced late on Friday that Turkey has reached an agreement with BioNTech to purchase 550,000 doses for the initial shipment, with the option to purchase as many as 30 million doses.
Announcing the deal on Twitter, Koca said the reason for the delay in the deal was due to liability issues.
“The reason for the delay was the fact that the producer did not accept any responsibility with regard to potential problems that could arise from production,” he said, adding that the disagreement was later resolved.
“Citizens seeking a dose will be asked for informed consent,” Koca said.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Şahin said he was happy to sign an agreement that would help his homeland. Şahin was born in 1965 in Turkey’s southeastern Iskenderun province before moving to Germany at the age of 4.
Explaining the details of the agreement, Şahin said the logistics of the deal and the training of health workers who will conduct the vaccinations were the priority for the first part of the vaccine delivery, 550,000 doses.
The BioNTech / Pfizer vaccine must be transported and stored at minus 70 degrees Celsius, the kind of temperature typical of an Antarctic winter. Combined with orders reaching millions of doses, the vaccine presents unprecedented logistical problems for many countries.
“That amount will arrive in Turkey when the year is over. First we need to prepare for logistics. What are the possible side effects of the vaccine, allergic reaction for example, what should be done if that happens, all this information should be shared appropriately. We need the health workers to be prepared, we want the vaccinations to be done safely, ”he said.
“We hope to send 30 million doses by the end of 2021. We plan to send 4.5 million doses by the end of March as these vaccines are needed around the world. We want to deliver these doses fairly. Hopefully by the end of next year we can deliver the 30 million doses we have agreed upon, ”Şahin told an AA reporter.
Speaking of possible further deals to exceed the 30 million dose deal, Şahin said it would be subject to availability.
“We want to produce approximately 1 billion doses next year in collaboration with Pfizer. We have to deliver these vaccines to 80 countries. As long as we have the doses, we are more than willing to give Turkey more, ”he said.
But he cautioned that manufacturing the vaccines is a complex process and the actual goal of reaching 1.3 billion doses may require collaboration with other companies.
“We are going to work with other companies again. If we can implement our capacity increase plans, we can announce this in January or February. I think we can increase it. We don’t have a guaranteed plan yet. “
Liability and Side Effects
Regarding the liability issues that prevented the deal from happening sooner, Şahin Koca thanked for the assistance provided by the minister during the negotiations, explaining that the disagreement was over the company’s desire to limit liability in case of a lawsuit for side effects.
“We make agreements with the same conditions for all countries. Europe, the US and Japan all had the same standards. The limited liability is to determine how much our company can take responsibility for, ”he said, adding that the lawsuits were mostly in exorbitant amounts that could put a company out of business.
“If you make something, people can sue you for it. You know too, they can claim ‘this or that happened’. When that happens, we remain helpless because there could be lawsuits claiming billions. It makes our life more difficult. We have made a safe vaccine for humans. But that doesn’t mean we’re safe from lawsuits. That’s why we need certain limits to protect the company, ”Şahin explains.
About 1.5 million people have already been vaccinated with the mRNA-based coronavirus vaccine found by his company, according to Şahin, and no serious side effects have yet been reported.
The most common side effects of the vaccine are headache, fatigue, pain in the arm that received the vaccine and in rare cases fever. Şahin said all side effects usually disappear within two days.
However, the most serious side effect is an allergic reaction, which occurs within 30 minutes of vaccination and at the rate of 1 in 50,000 people.
“An allergic reaction can occur within the first 30 minutes of receiving the injection. Therefore, the health personnel must be around for 30 minutes. That could be the only significant side effect, ”said Şahin.
Precaution still a must
As countries around the world prepared for the monumental task of vaccinating their populations, while some countries had already begun, hopes blossomed that life will soon return to normal after a long year in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic.
But Şahin warns that the precautions should continue for a while longer – at least until 70% population vaccination rates are reached.
“Our vaccines will not be able to control infections in the winter. People must continue to act in a disciplined manner, continue to protect themselves and others. The vaccines first go to the elderly and health professionals. We can protect them, ”he said.
Şahin recalls that Turkey has also signed a deal with Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac for 50 million doses, saying reaching a threshold for the number of people vaccinated was key before it returned to normal.
“We have to vaccinate 70% of the people. If we can do that before next winter comes, we can return to a normal life. It’s vital to stay disciplined, ”he said.
On Turkey’s deal with Sinovac, Şahin said it was a good move by Turkey to secure enough doses to reach the 70% threshold.
“The vaccine from China has also been shown to be effective. I think it is about 85% or 86% effective. This can be considered a good and effective vaccine. You don’t have to worry if a vaccine comes from BioNTech, China, or another government. Chinese scientists developed this vaccine after lengthy experimentation and clinical testing. Most importantly, Turkey produces the required number of doses, ”said Şahin.
While Şahin cited an 85% efficiency for the Sinovac vaccine, Turkey said Thursday it was 91.25% effective based on interim data from a late-stage study involving 7,371 volunteers.
With an initial shipment of 3 million doses of Sinovac vaccine arriving in Turkey on Monday, nearly 9 million people will be vaccinated in the first stage, starting with health workers and those in a risk group.
According to Dr. Serhat Ünal, an infectious disease expert who is a member of the Turkish Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board, no significant side effects were identified during the vaccine studies in Turkey, except in one case where an allergic reaction was observed.
Sinovac has also signed supply agreements for its vaccine with countries such as Indonesia, Brazil, Chile and Singapore, and negotiations are underway with the Philippines and Malaysia.
Branch in Turkey
Aside from BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine, Şahin said the company is involved in other branches of research, and announced that the company is in talks to open a branch in Turkey.
“We are bringing our products to Turkey for the first time. We also want to do research in Turkey. We are in talks with the Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Council (TÜBITAK). We are also in contact with different professors from different universities. We want to set up a BioNTech facility in Turkey, ”he said.
“We want to do cancer research in Turkey, in addition to our work on vaccines for infectious diseases. Hopefully we will start clinical studies on cancer next summer in Turkey. We have plans. We want to achieve that. “
Şahin said the company’s long-term goal was to open several offices in Turkey and conduct research and development studies. But life must return to normal first, he warned.
“We want to cooperate with Turkish universities and companies. In the first year we can carry out three projects and if we succeed we will continue. “
Şahin again called on the people not to give up on precautions.
“We must avoid endangering others or our loved ones. Help is on the way. It will be here by summer. We need to be patient. Hopefully, by the end of the summer, we will have a chance to return to our normal life. We then celebrate our success together. “