Traveling across roads covered with ice and snow, vaccination teams have been going to Turkey's isolated mountain villages as the government seeks to inoculate 60% of the country's people against coronavirus over the next three months.
After much effort, medical workers arrived Friday to vaccinate older villagers in Gumuslu, a small settlement of 350 in the central province of Sivas that lies 140 miles (230 kilometers) from the provincial capital.
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Traveling across roads covered with ice and snow, vaccination teams have been going to Turkey's isolated mountain villages as the government seeks to inoculate 60% of the country's people against coronavirus over the next three months.
Turkey rolled out the Chinese Sinovac vaccine on Jan. 14 and has so far given out 8.2 million doses. The vaccine is given in two doses 28 days apart. Ankara has also ordered 4.5 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
“I can’t go to the hospital. I have a heart condition and I get motion sickness in cars,” said Gumuslu resident Zeynep Yigit, 70. “The doctors came and vaccinated us.”
Overall, the country has seen more than 2.6 million cases since March last year and nearly 28,500 confirmed COVID-19-related deaths. Experts say all confirmed numbers worldwide are undercounts due to missed cases and limited testing.
Dr. Rustem Hasbek, Dr. Yasin Kaya and health worker Yusuf Duran, of the Koyulhisar Public Health Center vaccination team, walk to vaccinate residents in the isolated village of Gumuslu in the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)
Altun Yigit, 83, rests after she was administered a CoronaVac vaccine made by China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd. by a visiting medical team at her house in the isolated village of Gumuslu of the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)
Local resident Zeynep Yigit, 70, left, looks on as Dr. Yasin Kaya, right and health worker Yusuf Duran, center of the Koyulhisar Public Health Center vaccination team, prepare a dose of the CoronaVac vaccine made by China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd., to administer to her at her house in the isolated village of Gumuslu in the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)
Doctors and health workers of a COVID-19 vaccination team, walk in the isolated village of Gumuslu in the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. After traveling snow and ice covered roads, medical workers arrived in the small settlement of 350 people some 140 miles (230 kilometers) from the provincial capital, to vaccinate older villagers. (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)
Altun Yigit, 83, rests after she was administered a CoronaVac vaccine made by China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd. by a visiting medical team at her house in the isolated village of Gumuslu of the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)
Dr. Yasin Kaya, left and health worker Yusuf Duran, right, members of the the Koyulhisar Public Health Center vaccination team, walk to vaccinate 85-year-old Ibrahim Yigit at his house in the isolated village of Gumuslu in the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)
Dr. Yasin Kaya, left and health worker Yusuf Duran, right, members of the the Koyulhisar Public Health Center vaccination team, take a break as they walk to vaccinate 85-year-old Ibrahim Yigit at his house in the isolated village of Gumuslu in the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)
A full moon rises over the isolated village of Gumuslu in the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. Vaccination teams in Turkey have been reaching isolated mountain villages in Turkey’s central Sivas province as the government aims to inoculate 60% of the country’s population against the coronavirus over the next three months. (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)
Dr. Yasin Kaya, left and health worker Yusuf Duran, right, members of the the Koyulhisar Public Health Center vaccination team, prepare to vaccinate 85-year-old Ibrahim Yigit in the isolated village of Gumuslu in the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)
Doctors and health workers of a COVID-19 vaccination team walk through the isolated village of Gumuslu in the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)
A view of the mountainous area of Koyulhisar in the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. Vaccination teams in Turkey have been reaching isolated mountain villages in Turkey’s central Sivas province as the government aims to inoculate 60% of the country’s population against the coronavirus over the next three months. (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)
“It’s a difficult challenge to come here,” said Dr Rustem Hasbek, head of Sivas Health Services. “The geography is tough, the climate is tough, as you can see.”
A view of the mountainous area of Koyulhisar in the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. Vaccination teams in Turkey have been reaching isolated mountain villages in Turkey’s central Sivas province as the government aims to inoculate 60% of the country’s population against the coronavirus over the next three months. (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)
Turkey rolled out the Chinese Sinovac vaccine on Jan. 14 and has so far given out 8.2 million doses. The vaccine is given in two doses 28 days apart. Ankara has also ordered 4.5 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said that Turkey aims to vaccinate 52.5 million people by the end of May. To date, around 10% of Turkey’s 83 million population has received at least the first dose.
Health care workers, older people and people with serious medical conditions were among the first to receive the jab.
Doctors and health workers of a COVID-19 vaccination team drive into the isolated village of Gumuslu in the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. “It’s a difficult challenge to come here,” said Dr Rustem Hasbek, head of Sivas Health Services. “The geography is tough, the climate is tough, as you can see.” (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)
“I can’t go to the hospital. I have a heart condition and I get motion sickness in cars,” said Gumuslu resident Zeynep Yigit, 70. “The doctors came and vaccinated us.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to announce the easing of coronavirus restrictions on Monday. He previously said the government would evaluate the situation on a province-by-province basis before allowing restaurants, cafes and other shuttered businesses to reopen. Weekend and evening curfews could also be relaxed.
Still, infections have spiked in recent days, with Turkey recording more than 9,000 daily cases, the highest level since mid-January.
Dr. Yasin Kaya, center and health worker Yusuf Duran, left, members of the the Koyulhisar Public Health Center vaccination team, walk to vaccinate 85-year-old Ibrahim Yigit at his house in the isolated village of Gumuslu in the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)
Overall, the country has seen more than 2.6 million cases since March last year and nearly 28,500 confirmed COVID-19-related deaths. Experts say all confirmed numbers worldwide are undercounts due to missed cases and limited testing.
Follow all of AP’s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic, https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
Zeynep Yigit, 70, left, is administered a dose of the CoronaVac vaccine made by China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd., by health worker Yusuf Duran at her house in the isolated village of Gumuslu in the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. Health care workers, older people and people with serious medical conditions were among the first to receive the jab. (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)
Dr. Rustem Hasbek, Dr. Yasin Kaya and health worker Yusuf Duran, of the Koyulhisar Public Health Center vaccination team, walk to vaccinate residents in the isolated village of Gumuslu in the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)
Altun Yigit, 83, rests after she was administered a CoronaVac vaccine made by China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd. by a visiting medical team at her house in the isolated village of Gumuslu of the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)
Local resident Zeynep Yigit, 70, left, looks on as Dr. Yasin Kaya, right and health worker Yusuf Duran, center of the Koyulhisar Public Health Center vaccination team, prepare a dose of the CoronaVac vaccine made by China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd., to administer to her at her house in the isolated village of Gumuslu in the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)
Doctors and health workers of a COVID-19 vaccination team, walk in the isolated village of Gumuslu in the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. After traveling snow and ice covered roads, medical workers arrived in the small settlement of 350 people some 140 miles (230 kilometers) from the provincial capital, to vaccinate older villagers. (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)
Altun Yigit, 83, rests after she was administered a CoronaVac vaccine made by China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd. by a visiting medical team at her house in the isolated village of Gumuslu of the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)
Dr. Yasin Kaya, left and health worker Yusuf Duran, right, members of the the Koyulhisar Public Health Center vaccination team, walk to vaccinate 85-year-old Ibrahim Yigit at his house in the isolated village of Gumuslu in the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)
Dr. Yasin Kaya, left and health worker Yusuf Duran, right, members of the the Koyulhisar Public Health Center vaccination team, take a break as they walk to vaccinate 85-year-old Ibrahim Yigit at his house in the isolated village of Gumuslu in the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)
A full moon rises over the isolated village of Gumuslu in the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. Vaccination teams in Turkey have been reaching isolated mountain villages in Turkey’s central Sivas province as the government aims to inoculate 60% of the country’s population against the coronavirus over the next three months. (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)
Dr. Yasin Kaya, left and health worker Yusuf Duran, right, members of the the Koyulhisar Public Health Center vaccination team, prepare to vaccinate 85-year-old Ibrahim Yigit in the isolated village of Gumuslu in the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)
Doctors and health workers of a COVID-19 vaccination team walk through the isolated village of Gumuslu in the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)
A view of the mountainous area of Koyulhisar in the district of Sivas, central Turkey, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. Vaccination teams in Turkey have been reaching isolated mountain villages in Turkey’s central Sivas province as the government aims to inoculate 60% of the country’s population against the coronavirus over the next three months. (AP PhotoEmrah Gurel)