Turkey could receive up to 4.5 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine developed by BioNTech and Pfizer by late March, with the number potentially reaching 30 million by 2021’s end, BioNTech’s co-founder and CEO Uğur Şahin said on Saturday.
Şahin’s remarks came a day after Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced late Friday that Turkey has reached an agreement with BioNTech to procure 550,000 doses for the initial shipment, with the option to buy as much as 30 million doses.
Announcing the agreement on Twitter, Koca said the reason for the delay in the deal was due to liability issues.
“The reason for the delay was the fact that the producer did not accept any responsibility with regards to potential problems that could arise from the production,” he said, adding that the disagreement was later solved.
“Citizens who would like to get a dose will be asked for an informed consent,” Koca said.
