In Greece, unvaccinated people 60 and older face monthly fines – Orange County Register

By DEREK GATOPOULOS

ATHENS, Greece (AP) – Greece imposed a vaccination order Monday for those aged 60 and older as a spike in infections has put continued pressure on Greek hospitals, where most All critically ill patients belong to that age group.

Older adults who do not get vaccinated will face penalties, starting with a fine of 50 euros ($57) in January and followed by a monthly fine of 100 euros ($114) thereafter. .

About 69% of Greece’s 10.7 million people are fully immunized, just below the EU average of 70.3%. Daily COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations in Greece have increased following the emergence of the highly contagious omicron variant, although the majority of people who are in hospital or die from the virus have had delta variant. Pressure on ICU capacity has decreased slightly.

Health Secretary Thanos Plevris said the fine would be collected through the tax office with the money going to help fund state hospitals.

“The age factor is very important because of its impact on the public health service,” Plevris told Open TV on Sunday.

Last year, Greece imposed regulations on vaccinations for healthcare workers. And starting February 1, the adult immunization certificate expires in seven months unless the person receives a booster shot.

New infections surged in early January but have eased over the past week.

Regulations on vaccinations for the age group 60 and older were announced at the end of December and according to government data, 41.5% of the 530,000 people targeted under the measure are now fully immunized. enough.

Opinion polls show strong public support for the mandate, but some lawmakers across all parties have questioned the legitimacy of selecting a particular group. The government defended the measure as constitutional, citing a 2020 high court decision allowing public day care centers to deny unvaccinated children for childhood illnesses.

Government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou said only those with a legal health exemption, those who have had a recent infection and those who applied for a delayed vaccination appointment at home were exempt from the fine.

“The law will be fully enforced,” Oikonomou said.

Greece has the seventh oldest population in the world, as a percentage of residents aged 65 and over, according to the US-based Census Bureau. It has seen nearly 22,000 virus-related deaths during the pandemic.

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