Vaccinations in Greece; Tsipras and Kikilias scheduled for shots

The vaccination campaign against Covid19 entered its second day at five referral hospitals in Attica on Monday (Evangelismos, Sotiria, Attikon, Thriasio and Asklipeio). Meanwhile, the distribution of the vaccine to the Larisa University Hospital, AXEPA and the university hospitals of Ioannina and Patra has begun, so that the vaccine can begin to be administered to the healthcare staff at these hospitals on Tuesday.

A number of politicians are also scheduled to be vaccinated on Monday to show their confidence in the safety of the vaccine and to support the vaccination campaign, with main opposition SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance leader Alexis Tsipras expected at Evangelismos Hospital for his shot at 11:30, Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias at 12:15 and the general secretary for primary healthcare Marios Themistokleous at 12:45.

Greece received 9,750 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on December 26 and is next due to receive a consignment of 83,850 doses on December 30. The total number of doses of the Pfizer vaccine that Greece expects to receive under the central European agreement, based on its population, are 429,000 by the end of January and another 333,450 by the end of February.

In total, Greece is expecting 1,265,550 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by the end of March, with the vaccines developed by Moderna and AstraZeneca to be added to this number in January, once they are approved.

The national vaccination plan "Eleftheria" will initially prioritise vaccinations for healthcare and social services staff, as well as the very elderly and retirement home residents and staff, before moving on to other groups considered to be at higher risk. In the third and final phase, vaccinations will be administered to anyone over 18.

It will be administered without charge at special vaccination centres, in two doses given 21-28 days apart.