(Bloomberg) -- Turkey expects to receive 10 million new doses of Covid-19 vaccine from China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd. over the next two weeks, as authorities prepare to begin inoculating by Friday.
An additional 37 million doses are due to arrive in the country of more than 80 million people by the end of March, according to a senior Turkish official who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. In all, Turkey has contracted to buy 50 million doses from Sinovac, including 3 million received earlier but not yet administered.
Turkey’s Health Ministry declined to comment on the timeline.
Turkey’s 1.2 million medical staff will be first to be immunized. People over the age of 65 and nursing home residents, teachers and policemen will be prioritized next.
The two doses of the vaccine will be administered with a 28-day interval. Turkey says it will publish all inoculation data in real time.
Turkey has also signed a deal with Pfizer Inc. and partner BioNTech SE for 4.5 million of doses their vaccine, with an option to raise it to 30 million.