Biontech plans to produce COVID-19 vaccine in the Balkans in Turkey

The creator of the world’s first approved coronavirus vaccine, Professor Ugur Shahin, said that Biontech plans to start producing the vaccine in Turkey, which has become a source of hope for millions of people.

This was said by the German scientist in an interview with the Turkish television channel A Haber. This is the first exclusive interview in front of Turkish television with Professor Sahin, who together with his wife Ozlem Tureci is a descendant of Turkish emigrants in Germany. His company Biontech is among the leaders in Europe in the development of anticancer drugs

The scientist said that the company will deliver 4.5 million doses of the Pfizer and Biontech vaccine to Turkey by the end of March 2021.

According to him, in the first stage, that is, in early 2021, 550,000 doses of vaccines will be delivered to Turkey.

When asked about his team’s future plans for the vaccine, Professor Ugur Shahin said: “Biontech is producing the vaccine with Pfizer. In the future, we have plans to organize vaccine production in Turkey using local pharmaceutical teams. No I can. I will say if these projects will be implemented next year, but we are negotiating and the negotiations are going well. The vaccine for Turkey will be delivered from Europe. “

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When asked if his vaccine would be effective against the new strain of coronavirus that has appeared in the UK, the scientist said: “The appearance of the new strain is completely natural. Our vaccine has not yet been tested for the new strain. We hope that in the next 10 days to perform the tests and get the results. “

The scientist predicts that this winter will be accompanied by many difficulties.

Especially for the elderly and health professionals, so they need to be vaccinated. I think that if a large number of people are vaccinated by the summer of 2021, we can gradually return to our previous lives in the summer and spend the next winter normally, “he said.

Professor Ugur хиahin and his wife Özlem Tüçeçi come from Turkish emigrant families in Germany, BTA notes.