Istanbul, Oct. 22, (dpa/GNA) – Authorities in in south-eastern Turkey, the region with the lowest Covid-19 vaccination levels in the country, have resorted to creative ways to encourage people to take the jab, including using centralized call to prayer systems in rural mosques.
In Sogucak village in Mus province, local health officials read out the names of those who had either never been vaccinated or who hadn’t had the second jab from the loudspeaker of the local mosque, broadcaster NTV reported on Friday.
Villagers later lined up to get vaccinated at a mobile centre, one of the 20 such in the city, the report said.
Teams continue going « door to door » to promote vaccinations, local health official Sabahat Moralilar Cansever told NTV.
One of the locals, Yusuf Oksas, said he had forgotten to get the second jab and is now vaccinated after hearing his name read out.
« I thank all our health employees, » he added.
Coronavirus vaccination is not obligatory in Turkey, but authorities frequently remind citizens to vaccinate through SMS or ads.
The Health Ministry registered nearly 30,000 infections on Thursday compared to just over 7,000 at the beginning of June when Turkey started relaxing pandemic restrictions.
Around 57 per cent of those over the age of 18 in Mus province have been vaccinated so far, according to official data, below the Turkey average.
