Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Monday that the government grants 150 euros to young people aged 18-25 if they are administered the first dose of a vaccine against Covid-19.
The granted amount is ‘digital’ in a form of a prepaid card and to those born 1996-2003 can spend it for entertainment, cultural and touristic activities like theaters, cinema, travel with ferries and others.
“It is a Thank-You for their patience and perseverance, but also a motivation so that they receive vaccination,” the Prime Minister posted on Twitter, hinting at the toll the youth paid in the long months of the lockdown in terms of social life and studies.
Οι νέοι 18-25 ετών με την 1η δόση του εμβολίου, αποκτούν μια προπληρωμένη κάρτα €150 για χρήση σε τουριστικές και πολιτιστικές δραστηριότητες. Είναι ένα ευχαριστώ για την υπομονή και επιμονή τους, αλλά και ένα κίνητρο για να εμβολιαστούν. #freedom_pass pic.twitter.com/5Mp3cO6W6e
— Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) June 28, 2021
For the 150 euros on the Freedom Pass, one has to submit an application on the online platform gov.gr, a day after on has received the vaccine first dose.
This age group are 940,000 people the PM said.
The card will be available by the end of July.
Government spokeswoman Aristotelia Peloni said Monday noon that in the next days there will be new announcements for facilitating life to those already vaccinated.
PS The offered incentive has strong political motivation and the PM should know that a first dose only is not sufficient to achieve full immunity and that the Johnson&Johnson vaccine is one dose only.
Some “mean” Greeks criticize the 150-euro incentive claiming that Mitsotakis “buys” the youth’s votes as there are scenarios about early elections in autumn.
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I don’t give a shit about political motives, but to thank the youth who especially have contributed to the spread of Covid-19 which ultimately led to the lockdown, wants to make me vomit!
Outrageous, etc. But can we talk about ethics, and punish who did this, when the pandemic is over?
I don’t understand these youngsters. This virus is clearly a super-killervirus that kills everybody who has been in touch with it. Also young people that are infected constantly die. People can’t cross the road anymore, because there are death bodies everywhere. And still there are people that don’t want this vaccine, or that need an incentive to take it.
bribing people to get vaccinated is big FAIL of governments to convince people of vax benefits, sweep away their fears.
Isnt the church the worst in this failure? A lot of People listen to the church and what I can see on the island, the priests are very against vaccination. I have heard youn People talking about not be a le of getting pregnant and so on, and who is telling this? The church, sorry to say..
I agree that this kind of incentive should not be needed – but if it can increase the uptake of the vaccine, then I support it. We already voted on this site for whether people should get privileges once they have taken the vaccine – what better privilege for a young person than getting a little bit of extra cash!
It would be better to give the money when both doses have been taken … if its not the Johnson vaccine. I fear that many will not care to go for the 2nd dose – after all they are “invincible” 🙁
Unbelievable!! Not only is one jab of any vaccine except Johnson and Johnson insufficient to stop the spread of Covid, bribing young people in this way is not right. First and foremost concentration should be given to vaccinating those who are still waiting for an appointment and the issuing of TEMPORARY AMKA numbers so that these mostly retired vulnerable people who have waited for months can finally be vaccinated, a lot of whom would gladly pay the Greek Government 150 euros just to be able to feel safe from getting seriously ill.
Im almost speechless, but not quite!!! What is wrong with the Greeks that they feel the need to reward young people for taking a vaccine which would help to save everyones lives?
As soon as they opened the vaccine to young people in england, there were long queues of them waiting to be jabbed so that life could go back to normal. No red tape, no silly temporary amka numbers, just come and get the vaccine. and they did, in their hundreds, WITH SO MANY OF US STILL WAITING,IS IT FAIR? we dont want a gift, we just want the vaccine!
please please please will somebody listen? Help!! before I fall off my perch with exasperation!!!
My kids had their J&J jabs yesterday but we can’t find a way to apply. They don’t yet have TAXISNET login of their own. Thanks for nothing.
Barry, do you mean that you havent applied for the temporary AMKA? Not that the system works very well, but you do need to apply to have any hope of getting vaccine