AstraZeneca jabs for ages 60-64 to start after Feb 12

Greece’s National Vaccination Committee has unanimously approved the vaccine against the coronavirus produced by pharmaceuticals firm AstraZeneca for those aged 64 and younger.

More specifically, vaccinations for the 60-64 age group will start sometime after February 12, it was announced on Friday.

The online registration platform will open in the coming days.

According to the committee’s recommendation, those aged between 18 and 64 should get their jabs with the AstraZeneca vaccine with a 12-week interval between the first and second dose.

These recommendations may be modified in the future, depending on the data. In addition, as clarified by the secretary-general for primary healthcare, Marios Themistokleous, two parallel systems will be developed.

“One system is what we have at the moment and next to it we will open a second one for those that will be vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine,” he said, adding that the two systems will not intersect. 

“A citizen over the age of 80 will be able to make an appointment only at specific vaccination centers, while citizens aged 60-64 will be able to make an appointment only at the vaccination centers with AstraZeneca vaccines and not at the vaccination centers of the other categories,” he said.

Authorities say the decision for an age limit for the vaccine to be given to adults will bring the vaccination of younger people closer – in parallel with the older ages.