Mandatory vaccinations seen expanding
The government is considering making vaccinations mandatory for everyone aged 50-59, sometime after January 1.
It is also planning for current vaccination certificates issued after two doses of a vaccine against Covid-19 to expire after seven months, if the holder does not follow up with a third dose, Health Minister Thanos Plevris announced on Thursday.
Speaking on Skai TV, he said the decision is “almost made,” adding that specific announcements will be made after the New Year.
Still, 130,000 people over the age of 60 remain unvaccinated against the virus, despite facing fines.
Also, those with expired vaccination certificated will get text messages at regular intervals reminding them that they need to get their booster.
The government considers that it is still early to decide whether to recommend, or make mandatory, a fourth dose for health workers and those with suppressed immune systems.
Alongside France, Greece was among the first countries to make a vaccination certificate for the over-60s conditional on their receiving a booster shot. And the rapidity of the booster program in Greece is among the best in Europe. Still, a year after the biggest vaccination campaign in the country’s history started, Greece can still learn a lot from how other European countries have handled it.
As of early this week, a total of 17,060,000 vaccinations had been administered and 7,415,000 residents (70.6% of the total) had received at least a first jab; 66.4% have completed their original vaccination schedule and 4,365,000 have received booster jabs. But even this is not enough.
