Jan 17, 2022 - World

Greece imposes vaccine mandate for people 60 and older

Oriana González

Picture of a woman getting vaccinated — A patient receives a COVID-19 vaccine dose in Aristotelous Square in Thessaloniki, Greece, in November. Photo: Sakis Mitrolidis/AFP via Getty Images

The Greek government on Monday said that anyone 60 and older will be required to get a vaccine or face a fine.

State of play: Older people who are not inoculated will pay fines starting at around $57 in January followed by a monthly fine of approximately $114 after that if they choose to remain unvaccinated, AP reports.

Greek health minister Thanos Plevris said in a press briefing that the fines will be collected via taxes and would be used to fund government hospitals.

By the numbers: Greece has recorded a total of 1,679,705 confirmed cases and 22,087 deaths. So far, 18,386,304 vaccine doses have been administered, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The weekly number of cases reached a record high on the week of Jan. 9 but appear to be declining, JHU data shows.
Approximately two-thirds of the Greek population is fully vaccinated, while the EU average around 70%, per AP.

Add Axios on Google

Greece imposes vaccine mandate for people 60 and older

What to read next