BEIJING: While Western media have been extensively covering American drug firm Pfizer’s vaccine progress in the West, more countries in Asia, Europe and the Middle East expressed trust and confidence in Chinese COVID-19 vaccines, Global Times reported on Tuesday.
During a phone call with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Turkey believes Chinese COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, and Turkey would make urgent purchases from China.
Earlier this month, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said the country had signed a contract to buy 50 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from Chinese company Sinovac.
Turkey’s decision to purchase Chinese COVID-19 vaccines reflects its trust in China, and China is ready to provide necessary assistance to Turkey, Wang said during the phone call.
Cavusoglu congratulated China on its successful control of the epidemic and appreciated its achievements in vaccine research and development. Wang said that China and Turkey have conducted fruitful cooperation in medical supplies, sharing of anti-epidemic experience and Phase III clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccines.
Around 13,000 volunteers in Turkey participated in Sinovac’s Phase III clinical trials, according to Reuters. Koca said the vaccine produced by the “inactivated method” is more reliable because “it is the best known method and its long-term consequences are well known.”
The more recently developed mRNA vaccines “worked well in the short term but we do not know what effect it will have in the medium and long term,” Koca said in an interview with local media.
The first batch of 20 million doses of Sinovac vaccines will be received in December and January. The second batch of 10 million doses will arrive in February. Turkey is open to procuring vaccines from other companies after February, Koca said, according to Anadolu Agency.
Tunc Akko?, Chairman of the Turkish Ayd?nl?k Newspaper, the oldest newspaper in Turkey, told the Global Times recently that a majority of Turkish people preferred Chinese vaccines over Pfizer’s as the vaccines from China have been produced “in the same way as the vaccines made since our childhood.” He said he and his family would like to receive the Chinese vaccine.
The bad performance of the US in controlling the epidemic has also shaken Turkish people’s trust in American vaccines, he said.
Countries like Indonesia, Brazil and Chile have also announced their purchase of the Sinovac vaccine. Indonesia received its first shipment of 1.2 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from China last week.
– The Daily Mail-Global Times News exchange item
