Turkey said a trial involving thousands of volunteers showed an estimated 91.25% efficacy for a Covid-19 vaccine made by China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd., a much higher level than suggested in a study of the shot in Brazil.
According to a televised press conference by Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, Turkey has conducted trials since September involving more than 3,400 people. The efficacy rate was determined in about half of the participants, he said.
Earlier, Brazil said a clinical trial has shown the Sinovac vaccine to be more than 50% effective, although researchers have delayed releasing more information at the company’s request.
Turkey has agreed to purchase 50 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine, and the first shipments are expected to begin on Sunday. Authorities will soon begin a four-phase vaccination program, prioritizing medical personnel, people over 65 with chronic illnesses and people with physical disabilities.
Koca has said the Sinovac vaccine was the preferred choice because it is manufactured using conventional methods. Still, Turkey is in early negotiations to receive about 4.5 million doses of the vaccine it produces Pfizer Inc. and partner BioNTech by the end of March, Koca said. The Pfizer BioNTech vaccine was developed using messenger RNA technology, a new strategy to fight a virus.