Health Ministry's Science Board

The next three months will be crucial for efforts to confront challenges from the Omicron strain of COVID-19, a health expert has said, calling for speeding up the drive to give booster shoots.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca last week announced the first cases of the Omicron variant in Turkey.

Turkey aims to vaccinate more than 80 percent of the population against COVID-19, Professor Alper Şen from the Health Ministry's Science Board has said.

The vaccine drive is not moving at the desired speed, but still the vaccination rate in Turkey is higher than many countries in Europe, according to Şen.

Turkey is closely following developments in the wake of the emergence of the new COVID-19 strain, Omicron, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has said, adding that the current situation does not necessitate taking additional measures.

He recalled that Turkey immediately acted after the new variant was detected in the world and imposed travel bans on certain countries.

Turkish experts have urged the public to remain calm and not panic amid threats from the new COVID-19 strain, Omicron, but also called on people to get vaccinated and stick to anti-virus rules.

Turkey on Nov. 26 banned travel from five African nations, including South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, as a precaution against the new variant.

People have become demotivated about adhering to the rules against COVID-19 and conditions are leading to an "anti-virus measures' fatigue," Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has said. 

He warned that the anti-virus measures must be strictly observed once again during the winter months. 

Turkey has been managing the COVID-19 well at its schools since face-to-face education resumed, Education Minister Mahmut Özer said, reiterating that schools will not close again.

Turkey will offer booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine to all its citizens aged 18 and older starting on Nov. 11, the country's Health Minister has announced.

Speaking after the Health Ministry's Science Board meeting held on Nov. 11, Fahrettin Koca reminded that the country was already giving the third dose of the vaccine to those who are aged above 60.

Turkey's vaccination drive needs to be accelerated in order to reach herd immunity, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has said. 

Turkey's health minister has urged the public to volunteer in studies for the development of the country's own coronavirus vaccine, Turkovac.

In the phase 3 trials, authorities are also giving the local jab candidate to volunteers as the booster shot.

Turkey's Science Board is not weighing closing schools as an option, the country's health minister has said, in response to a recent comment by a member of the board who suggested that in-class education may be suspended if virus cases increase.