Greece has arranged to get delivery of over 26 million Covid-19 vaccine doses, enough for 15,450,000 citizens, Secretary General for Primary Health Care Marios Themistocleous said on Monday.
Speaking at a live briefing on the pandemic, Themistocleous said the vaccination plan is progressing well and several hospitals have completed the vaccination of their medical staff with the first of two doses.
Since December 27, he said, 49,661 people have been vaccinated, or 0.46 percent of the general population.
This week vaccinations will start in private hospitals for staff there, and then proceed to privately practicing doctors, dentists and pharmacists, he added.
Themistocleous noted that following the contracts the EU has signed with manufacturing pharmaceutical companies, each country is alloted doses based on its population. Greece’s is 2.36 pct of the total. Countries are also entitled to change their minds and not buy the full amount allotted.
Speaking of the timetable for receipt of the vaccines, Themistocleous said it will be as follows:
– From Pfizer-BioNTech: 427,050 doses by end-January; 362,700 doses by end-February; and 558,675 doses in March
– From Moderna: 20,000 doses within January; 115,000 doses in February; and 105,000 doses in March
– From AstraZeneca, and provided it is approved by the European Medicines Agency: 400,000 in February, with further and increased deliveries in consecutive months
– From Johnson & Johnson, provided it receives approval.
President of the National Vaccination Committee Maria Theodoridou noted that 21 days should pass between the two installments and noted the importance of having the second done for full protection.
She also said that clinical studies did not include pregnant women, and doctors officially recommended avoiding being vaccinated during pregnancy. [amna]
