Greek gov’t sets vaccination target of 70% by summer

Government spokesman Christos Tarantilis was optimistic on Monday that the Covid-19 vaccinations would go according to plan, noting that the government’s goal is for 70% of the population to be inoculated against the disease by the summer “in order to achieve immunity.”

Regarding the epidemiological situation, he said it has improved since the beginning of December, with active cases dropping and pressure on the National Health System (ESY) relenting.

“We are closely monitoring the data step by step based on the recommendations of experts. We continue to play defense and to plan our counterattack,” he stressed, as the digital appointments platform for vaccinations of the general population formally opened on Monday afternoon, with citizens aged 85 and over first in line.

Meanwhile, pharmacists in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, are protesting their exclusion from the first phase of the country’s coronavirus vaccination program. 

In an open letter to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Cooperative of Pharmacists of Thessaloniki (SYFA) and the Thessaloniki Pharmacists’ Association said that pharmacy staff have been on the frontline of the pandemic response, and denounced the Health Ministry’s decision as “offensive” and “unacceptable.”