The Greek government will fine all unvaccinated people aged 60 and over €100 (£85/$113) every month after mandatory jabs are enforced from next month.
The new policy came as part of an amendment to existing legislation on the mandatory vaccine policies introduced by the government earlier this week and will see anyone born prior to December 31st, 1961, unless they can prove they have recovered from the Wuhan virus in the last six months or have particular vulnerability to vaccine side-effects, newspaper Ekathimerini reports.
The newspaper states that fines will be reduced for people who have taken at least one dose of a two-dose vaccine by the January 15th deadline and will be stopped on the first day of the month following a second vaccination dose.
The bill with the amendment was passed in the Greek parliament on Wednesday.
Greece has cracked down hard on unvaccinated people in recent weeks, announcing in late November that they would be banned from indoor public spaces as new coronavirus cases surged.
Monthly fines or a tax on the unvaccinated were also floated by Vice President of the Lower Austrian Medical Association, Gerrit Loibl, last month.
Loibl also proposed a figure from €90 and €100 (£78-£84/$90-$113) — but unlike Greece, the proposed fines would be given to all non-vaccinated Austrian residents eligible for the jab, not just the over-60s.
Austria is preparing to impose a vaccine mandate on the general population in February of next year.
Karl Stöger, a medical law expert, stated that it was unclear whether or not monthly fines would have an impact in getting people motivated to take the jab, saying that many people may simply accept and pay the fines to remain unvaccinated.
Under the proposed Austrian vaccine mandate, however, residents could see fines of up to €7,200 (£6,136/$8,142) for not taking the vaccine, according to reports. Some could potentially face prison sentences for refusing.
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