The platform for vaccination booking with the updated vaccines against Covid-19 variants Omicron 4 and 5 opens on Tuesday afternoon, September 27, Greece’s Health Ministry announced today.
In the afternoon, the platform will be opened so that citizens can make an appointment to be vaccinated with the updated vaccines against the sub-variants of the Omicron mutation 4 and 5.
The Health Ministry said that the updated vaccines Pfizer BA 4/5 vaccines have already arrived in the country.
Vaccinations with the updated vaccines will start on Monday, 3. October 2022, the ministry added.
The platform to book vaccination appointments is at emvolio.gov.gr
It is worth noting that appointments for the 3rd booster shot and variant BA2 did not meet the health authorities’ expectations as citizens would rather skip vaccination number 5 and go directly to the most advanced ones against the Omicron BA4 and BA5.
it should be recalled that one cannot have the booster shots without to have previously administered the basic vaccination, one or two doses depending on the vaccine type.
Speaking to SKAI TV, secretary general for Primary Health Care Marios Themistokleous said that “we are not expecting another vaccine, we now have the most modern, updated vaccine.”
He recalled that the current vaccination recommendation is for people:
- over 60 years old
- people of younger ages who suffer from specific diseases,
- health care personnel
- people who work in nursing homes or care for the immune-compromised patients
- vulnerable people
He stressed that there is no general recommendation for the general population.
For children there is no general recommendation to be vaccinated with a booster shot. They are vaccinated only if there is a serious illness or if there are other reasons, such as for example to go to some schools abroad, such as in America, which required a booster dose, Themistokleous said.
He underlined that there is now “a new phase of the pandemic that does not cause much pressure on hospitals” and that “we have a milder mutation compared to the ones before.”
He added that according to the forecasts there is no expectations for an outbreak at this time .
so that the vaccination instructions will change.
“The vaccinations guidelines will change if we suddenly have too many cases and a lot of pressure on hospitals or some mutation that is not so mild” Themistokleous stressed.
The booking site has now been updated. I went on the site this morning and was able to book my anti-BA4/5 variant booster for 4 October. In my area at least it gives you a choice of which booster to get so check that you are booking the one that you want.
Good luck and all the best Warwick.