Greece to Receive Over 25m Doses of Covid-19 Vaccine Once Available

Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis (left) during the presentation of Greece’s Covid-19 vaccine strategy.

Greece will receive more than 25 million doses of a vaccine for the coronavirus (Covid-19) through advance-purchase agreements signed between the European Union and pharmaceutical companies, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday.

Speaking during a teleconference on the country’s Covid-19 vaccine strategy, the Greek PM said that the first deliveries of a vaccine are expected in early 2021.

“The purchase and deployment of vaccines have already been agreed at European level. The European Commission has already secured 1.1 billion doses that are in the final phase,” he said.

According to PM Mitsotakis, once available, all Greeks will be given Covid-19 vaccine free of cost.

“The vaccine will be available for free to everyone, without any exceptions… In this way, we declare our commitment to the protection of public health,” he noted.

He then referred to the vaccination process and informed that the country’s relevant committee, as in all countries, will determine how the vaccine will be distributed to the public.

Local points of care to support mass vaccination

Mitsotakis also informed that the vaccination of citizens will not be possible in the traditional way, through private doctors or pharmacists.

According to the PM, special structures (local points of care) will be developed through the country’s primary healthcare system to support mass vaccination.

He added that the government’s plan also includes mobile crews that will vaccinate health workers, residents of nursing homes or other fellow citizens can not move around for various reasons.

The Greek PM has called for all parties of parliament to send a representative to the country’s vaccination committee, which will draw up a schedule that should receive the “maximum possible consensus” from Greece’s political system.

“It is very important to convince our fellow citizens that the vaccine will not only be effective, but also safe,” he said.