Platform for new Covid vaccine opens Monday

The platform for appointments to get the updated Covid-19 vaccine is set to open on Monday, when Deputy Health Minister Eirini Agapidaki and National Immunization Committee President Maria Theodoridou will also speak about which population groups are advised to get the shot and what it covers. The vaccine has been updated to target the XBB Omicron variant and is estimated to protect against the XBB 1.5 subvariant too.

European Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Andrea Ammon has stressed that emphasis should be placed on vaccinating people who are at greater risk of developing a serious disease, including the elderly, pregnant women, healthcare workers, people with underlying medical conditions and those with weakened immune systems regardless of age.

According to the World Health Organization, over 90% of reported deaths from Covid-19 involve people aged 65 and over.