Turkey’s health minister has announced a vaccination plan starting with an experimental “inactivated vaccine” later this month to combat the Covid-19 pandemic amid a surge in infections and deaths, the Associated Press reported.

The minister said early use authorisation would be granted after Turkish labs confirm vaccine safety and initial results from Phase 3 trials are assessed.

Vaccination efforts would be rolled out in four stages, the minister said. The first group includes health care workers, citizens above age 65, and people living in homes for the elderly, disabled or other protective care homes.

Next would be essential workers and people above 50 with at least one chronic disease. Third, people younger than 50 with at least one chronic illness, young adults and other workers would be vaccinated. The fourth and final phase would be for the rest of the population.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday the vaccine would be administered free of charge. Other Covid-19 vaccines would be sold at pharmacies, according to the health minister.