Turkey plans to vaccinate 50 million people against COVID-19 before autumn

Healthcare workers hold pictures of their colleagues who have passed away due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, during a demonstration to mark the first anniversary of the first coronavirus diagnosis in Turkey, at the courtyard of the Gazi University Hospital in Ankara, Turkey March 11, 2021. REUTERS/Cagla Gurdogan

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey plans to vaccinate 50 million people against COVID-19 by autumn in order to combat the spread of coronavirus, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Thursday, after the number of daily cases surged to their highest level this year.

Turkey, with a population of 83 million, has so far carried out 10.56 million inoculations, putting it in the upper ranks of major countries in terms of the proportion of its population vaccinated so far.