Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca announced that the first stage construction of the Hygiene-Turkey Vaccine and Biotechnological Product Research and Production Center will be completed soon.
Minister Koca stated that the work for Turkey's "vaccine production base" is continuing rapidly and said, "The first stage construction of the Hygiene-Turkey Vaccine and Biotechnological Product Research and Production Center, which will serve with a closed area of 50 thousand square meters under the leadership of the Ministry of Health, will be completed soon." said.
Reminding that Turkey, which last produced a tuberculosis vaccine in 1998 and stopped vaccine production after that date, managed to become one of the 19 countries producing vaccines in this field by developing the TURKOVAC vaccine against the Covid-9 epidemic, Minister Koca said:
“The new Hygiene center, which is being built rapidly and planned as a "vaccine base", will allow Turkey to have a say in this field again after a quarter of a century. "The center, which will have a closed area of 50 thousand square meters near Ankara Esenboğa Airport, will carry out R&D and production studies of some genetic products in addition to the vaccine."
Underlining that the first stage is aimed to be opened by the end of the year, Koca said, “The ongoing construction work of the Hygiene-Turkey Vaccine and Biotechnological Product Research and Production Center, which will be equipped with smart building technology, is progressing in three stages. While the construction of the first phase is nearing completion, it is aimed to put the section, which includes some research and production laboratories, into service by the end of the year. The second phase of the center construction will include vaccine production facilities. "In the third stage, the installation and licensing of the devices will be carried out." made the statement.
Minister Koca continued his statement with the following statements:
“In 2028, the vaccines in the immunization program will be “domestic and national” production. The Ministry of Health aims to turn knowledge into products and reduce foreign dependency by developing domestic production opportunities, with its new Hygiene Center and scientists with knowledge of vaccine production processes in Turkey. First of all, three vaccines in the childhood immunization program, such as rabies, Hepatitis A and chickenpox, are planned to be produced in Turkey through technology transfer. "With the launch of the center, 2028 percent of the vaccines in the immunization program will be produced in our country as of 86."