Greek healthcare staff have until September 1st to be fully vaccinated against the Wuhan coronavirus or face indefinite suspension from their jobs.
Wuhan virus vaccines are mandatory for all healthcare workers in the National Health System as well as staff working in care homes, and they have until August 16th to get their first shot of the vaccine and until September 1st to be fully vaccinated.
According to a report from the Greek newspaper I Kathimerini, 88 per cent of doctors in the Greek health service had been fully vaccinated while 74 per cent of nursing staff and 72 per cent of general hospital staff were also vaccinated. Around 10,000 healthcare workers are believed to still be unvaccinated.
Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias commented on the push to get healthcare workers vaccinated, saying they “have a supreme mission, whose cornerstone is the support and love for their fellow human beings.”
“I cannot imagine that some people working in these structures would risk their lives and the lives of the people they care for,” he added.
Healthcare workers are not the only ones who face possible punishments or repercussions for not getting vaccinated in Greece.
Greek Interior Minister Makis Voridis announced last month that civil servants who refuse to take the vaccine could also face disciplinary action, which could also include the employees being fired.
“Under current law, there is a legal obligation and, in some professions, employers and employees are required to meet certain health requirements. The employer has a responsibility,” Vordis said.
Earlier this week it was reported that Greek teachers who refuse the vaccine or cannot produce a negative coronavirus test result could face potential cuts to their salaries or suspensions from their positions.