Data support vaccination system
A debate has started in recent days regarding how coronavirus vaccinations are being prioritized, with some members of the opposition accusing the government of putting 60-64-year-olds above groups of people with medical conditions that may make them more vulnerable to Covid-19.
“It is not a contest. The National Vaccination Committee has conducted a very detailed assessment of which groups are most vulnerable to Covid-19,” Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister Akis Skertsos told state radio ERT on Thursday, responding to criticism. A meeting, meanwhile, was held yesterday between government officials to discuss the entry into the vaccination program of vulnerable individuals under the age of 60 as soon as more doses are available.
The government’s reasoning for opening the vaccination platform last week to the 60-64 age group stems from the data. Official National Organization for Public Health figures have shown that transmission of the virus mostly affects the 40-49 age group, followed by 50-59 and then 20-39-year-olds.
This, however, is not the case with intensive care admissions and fatalities, where the 60-69 group leads ICU admissions, followed by 70-79 and then those aged 80-plus, which accounts for the majority of fatalities. The second biggest number of deaths have been in the 70-79 age group, followed by 60-69. People aged 80 and above have already been vaccinated or are in the process of being vaccinated.
