‘Isn’t it odd to confine vaccinated people to home while the unvaccinated work?’

* Photo: AA

Click to read the article in Turkish

In a message shared on his social media account yesterday (April 19), Turkey's Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca announced that over 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Turkey so far. According to his statement, the citizens aged 65 and over and the ones with chronic diseases have been prioritized in getting the vaccine jabs.

However, since the pandemic broke out, the people aged 65 and over have been specifically targeted by COVID-19 measures which restrict their mobility to a considerable extent. While this age group, as announced by the Minister, has been vaccinated against the virus as one of the first priority groups, there are still restrictive measures specifically targeting them.

Both citizens aged 65 and over and some physicians have been expressing their objections to this practice.

'The comedy is still going on'

Akın Özçer, a retired diplomat from the Foreign Ministry, has slammed the restrictions, saying, "The comedy about the 65+ is still going on." 

"76.4 percent have been vaccinated, the cases reach record levels and they (the ones aged 65 and over) are subjected to additional restrictions, together with children," Özçer has said, briefly adding:

"Unlawful circulars are around again. [...] I cannot understand how they will be able to control the cases by punishing the ones who have been vaccinated while freeing the groups who are vulnerable to severe disease when they catch the virus and the carriers among them.

"It needs to be underlined that the same practice is in place even though the 65+ were vaccinated long ago and the 6-week (42-day) period necessary for antibody formation has ended.

"They are supposedly struggling against the outbreak by introducing some arbitrary hours to go out, after a three-month house arrest, requesting a permission for intercity travel, asking for title deed and reservation information and rejecting the requests considered unsuitable.

"The people in their 60s oddly turn to the ones who are only 2-3 years older than them and say that these restrictions stem from love."

'An utterly fascistic ageism'

Writer Necmiye Alpay has also criticized the practice. "Yes, when we are vaccinated, we keep on being carriers, but to that point... This is an utterly fascistic age discrimination," Alpay has said, briefly adding:

"This is the extreme point that capitalism has reached. In other words, they are against the elders, just as they are against every non-profitable thing. Keeping the vaccinated people at home while the unvaccinated are working, for instance... This is completely irrational.

"If we confine every carrier to home, then, we need to do this to everyone regardless of their age. They say, 'We are protecting our elderly.' They, in fact, confine the ones who need parks more than anyone else to home. We are restricted in a very special and irrational way."

'Age discrimination is wrong'

The Elder Rights Association has also released a statement and noted that "the solution lies in the decisions which will not lead to age discrimination, will consider all factors and respond different needs". Underlining that the elders should not be confined to their home, it has said, "We are in favor of measures, but approaching this issue with ageism is wrong."

'Who do we protect from whom?'

Some physicians have also criticized the decision on social media.

Specialized in neuroscience and genetics, Assoc. Prof. Çağhan Kızıl from Germany's Dresden University Faculty of Medicine has said, "While 76 percent of the 65+ have been vaccinated, the reason why this age group has been included in the bans needs to be explained. Is it because you do not trust the protectiveness of the vaccine among this age group or is this a 'recommendation of the science board' while the spread of this virus is rising among the ones aged 50 and younger?"

Dr. Osman Elbek has also stated, "I have understood everything, but what is the reason for barring the 65+ from using public transportation? Hasn't this group been vaccinated? Isn't the rate of deaths on the decline in this age group, as indicated by Minister Koca? Yes, the vaccine does not prevent mild disease. But isn't it odd to confine the vaccinated people to home while the unvaccinated keep on working?"

Prof. İrfan Serdar Arda has said, "Who did we vaccinate? The ones aged 60 and over and the ones who have a high potential for contact due to their professions, primarily healthcare workers... Who have we banned from going out? The ones aged 65 and over... Who have we allowed to go out? The unvaccinated ones... Question: Who do we protect from whom?"

(AÖ/SD)