Over 128 mln coronavirus vaccine shots given in Turkey so far

Turkey has administered more than 128.38 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines since it launched an immunization drive this January, according to official figures released on Saturday.

More than 56.79 million people have received a first jab, while over 51.38 million are fully vaccinated, the Health Ministry said.

Turkey has also given third booster shots to more than 16.97 million people.

The ministry also confirmed 20,470 new COVID-19 infections, 145 coronavirus-related deaths, and 22,109 recoveries over the past day.

As many as 357,536 virus tests were done in the past 24 hours.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said in a statement that the omicron variant of the coronavirus accounted for over 10% of the new cases in populated cities.

This new development has rendered the booster doses more important, he added, and advised the citizens who received their last jabs more than three months ago to receive a booster dose.

Koca said a significant increase in the number of hospitalizations or the need for intensive care has not been observed in the country.

On Wednesday, Turkey announced that the homegrown COVID-19 vaccine Turkovac had been approved for emergency use after months of development and tests.

The vaccine will be in widespread use as of next week, Koca said.

Since December 2019, the pandemic has claimed over 5.39 million lives in at least 192 countries and regions, with more than 279.11 million cases reported worldwide, according to the US' Johns Hopkins University.