Chinese labeled BioNTech vaccines create confusion in Turkey
Chinese labeled BioNTech vaccines have stirred debate in Turkey, with social media users asking whether they're actually BioNTech. According to Health Ministry, the BioNTech vaccines were produced for a Far Eastern country and are in use in Turkey upon an urgent demand.
Duvar English
Chinese labeled BioNTech vaccines have created confusion in Turkey, as social media users asked the Health Ministry whether they are actually BioNTech.
Various social media users shared the picture of the vaccine on Twitter and questioned the company that produced them.
"This is a weird situation. Even if they're produced for China, they should have a label reading BioNTech in English," Prof. Derya Unutmaz said on Twitter.
"The Health Ministry should explain this urgently and remove doubts," he added.
Bana gelen mesajlarda, Biontech aşı tüplerinin üzerinde bu Çince yazılar olduğu belirtildi…çok garip bir durum, Çin için bile üretilse üstünde Biontech-İngilizce yazılır en azından. Bunun doğruluğu/yanlışlığı @saglikbakanligi tarafından acilen açıklansın, şüphe kalmasın lütfen! pic.twitter.com/WOqKueN04M
— Derya Unutmaz, MD (@DeryaTR_) December 13, 2021
Other users asked Health Minister Fahrettin Koca to explain why there isn't any BioNTech logo on the vaccine.
"How are we going to trust it?" they asked.
Upon suspicion, the Health Ministry released a statement, saying that the Chinese labeled vaccines shared on social media are BioNTech.
According to the ministry, Turkey demanded BioNTech vaccines urgently when they weren't enough and the company sent the vaccines they originally produced for a Far Eastern country.
"Changing the labels would lead to the cold chain being broken," the ministry said.
İlk olarak sosyal medya platformu üzerinde ortaya çıkan ve daha sonrasında bazı yazılı basın organları tarafından da dile getirilen ülkemizde ismi bilinmeyen COVID-19 aşısı kullanıldığına dair iddialara yönelik kamuoyunu bilgilendirme ihtiyacı hasıl olmuştur. pic.twitter.com/fdPmA3Ccaq
— T.C. Sağlık Bakanlığı (@saglikbakanligi) December 14, 2021