Minister Koca answered journalists' questions after the Cabinet Meeting.
Minister Koca was asked; "There has been criticism that you are anti-vaccination after the Covid-19 statement you have made recently. What would you like to say about this?" And he replied; "Being anti-vaccination is the last thing that can be attributed to us."
Koca pointed out that the childhood vaccination rate in Türkiye’s immunization program is over 95 percent. Stating that all processes related to the Ministry of Health are carried out together with the relevant scientific committees, Minister Koca said, "Therefore, it is out of the question for us to be against science and logic. There is nothing logical about being anti-vax. We can never be against vaccination."
He said there were some comments that some of his statements were made against doctors and scientists and that he was accused of targeting them, and continued as follows:
"It is absolutely impossible to draw such a conclusion from my statements. These statements were made in order to protect the doctors. Therefore, all our citizens should act with extreme sensitivity regarding the childhood vaccination program and ensure that childhood vaccinations are performed and the children not fully vaccinated according to the vaccination program should be fully vaccinated.”
A journalist asked, "Is it possible that seasonal flu vaccines will also become protective against Covid-19 in the coming years?" Koca answered the question:
"Regarding the flu vaccine, everyone for whom the vaccine has been prescribed should get seasonal flu vaccines. When Covid-19 becomes seasonal, it may turn into a seasonal flu vaccine by adding it to the seasonal strains of flu vaccine. It may become seasonal in the coming period. Therefore, we have no concerns in this sense. I insistently raise my sensitivity about childhood vaccines and flu vaccines. Can these statements coincide with anti-vaccination?"
City hospitals
When asked about the latest situation regarding the city hospitals, Koca reminded that Gaziantep City Hospital started accepting patients.
Stating that the 22nd city hospital was opened, Koca said that İzmir City Hospital would start accepting patients within a week or two.
Minister Koca said, "A plan has been made to build city hospitals in all our big cities. While the projects of some of them have been completed, the construction of others continues. A total of nearly 37 city hospitals will be completed, including those under construction."
