324,000 Double-Dosed Greeks Face Losing ‘Vaccinated Status’ From Monday

The vaccination certificates of around 324,000 Greeks could expire on Monday as the government has stated that in order to remain eligible for the certificate, Greeks must take another dose of the Wuhan coronavirus vaccine.

Secretary-General of Primary Health Care of the Ministry of Health Marios Themistokleous announced that 324,000 Greeks who are vaccinated with two doses of the Wuhan coronavirus vaccine could see their certificates expire Monday as they have not taken a booster dose.

According to Themistokleous, 91 per cent of Greeks over 60 are fully vaccinated and 4.96 million of the 5.82 million people eligible for the booster shot have already taken it, while 146,000 have booked their booster dose appointments, Ekathimerini reports.

The Wuhan coronavirus vaccine is mandatory for all Greeks over the age of 60 since January and those who refuse to take their jabs face fines of  €100 (£85/$113) every month unless they can prove they have recovered from the virus within the last six months.

Greek Deputy Interior Minister Stelios Petsas also stated last month that the government was looking at extending the mandate to those aged 50 and over as well.

“The decision to impose age criteria has paid off, and the age limits could be further lowered if this becomes necessary,” he said.

In early January, the Greek government also approved a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine for those residents at risk of a serious case of the virus, such as those with compromised immune systems.

Marios Themistokleous commented on the move, noting that the government was so far not considering a fourth dose for the general population of the country saying, “The administration of the fourth dose is something for the future based on the change of epidemiological and clinical data.”

Greece is not the only country in which vaccine certificates for those with only two doses have expired. in France, the health pass linked to vaccination status automatically expires for those over 65 who have not received their booster dose.

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