Turkey begins phase three trials of Chinese Covid-19 vaccine

Turkey has begun final Phase III trials of an experimental Chinese coronavirus vaccine.

The vaccine will be administered to between 1,200 to 1,300 health workers over 10 days and a second dose will be given 14 days after the first, Turkish media reported.

The results of the trial will be sent to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The vaccine candidate will later be administered to volunteers with chronic diseases, with the aim of vaccinating 13,000 people, CNN Turk and Haberturk said.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca is due to hold a news conference later in the day.

Koca announced last week that Phase III work had started on the Chinese vaccine candidate, as well as another developed by Pfizer. Russia's application to conduct Phase III trials in Turkey for its experimental vaccine was being evaluated and a decision would likely be made this week, he said.

READ MORE: Turkey in talks with Germany, China, Russia over Covid-19 vaccine trials

Safety concerns over trials

China is administering experimental coronavirus vaccines to tens of thousands of its citizens, attracting international interest, despite experts' concerns over the safety of drugs that have not completed standard testing.

China launched a vaccine emergency use programme in July, offering three experimental shots developed by a unit of state pharmaceutical giant China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) and US-listed Sinovac Biotech.

A fourth coronavirus vaccine being developed by CanSino Biologics was approved for use by the Chinese military in June.

Haberturk said the vaccine candidate being trialled in Turkey was developed by Sinovac.

READ MORE: China's potential Covid-19 vaccine to be tested in Brazil

$47.5 million funding for new Istanbul hospital

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has provided a loan of $47.5 million (€40 million) to strengthen the Turkish healthcare sector.

According to a statement by EBRD, the long-term loan, of which $35 million (€30 million) was committed on signing, would be for the private developer of the Basaksehir Cam and Sakura City Hospital on the outskirts of Istanbul.

READ MORE: 'Turkey's investments in health care paying off during pandemic'

The $1.9 billion hospital was built under a public-private partnership (PPP) in the Istanbul district of Basaksehir.

In response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, part of the new hospital complex opened in April to treat the rising number of Covid-19 patients in the country.

The hospital was developed and built by a joint venture between Turkey's Ronesans Healthcare and Japan's Sojitz Corporation.

"The EBRD funds will replace short-term loans from local banks that Ronesans Healthcare used to finance its equity contribution to the PPP project," the statement said.

So far in 2020, EBRD investments in Turkey have exceeded $1.87 billion.

READ MORE: Turkey’s success against Covid-19 lies behind its 2019 "pandemic plan"