Greece: Vaccinations are “running” – About 100,000 appointments daily
With the “tough” indicators of the pandemic in Greece frightening and the daily number of deaths “breaking the barrier” of 100 for the first time since May, the government puts all the weight on the imposition of the vaccination program, both for the support . as well as for those citizens who decide to join the process for the first time.
According to Mario Themistocleous, the program is moving satisfactorily and thousands of appointments are made every day. To exceed 100,000 appointments today, he said characteristically. So far, the beneficiaries are 2,827,574 citizens, which corresponds to 43.1% of the completed vaccinations. 922,000 vaccinations have already been performed, 32.6% of the beneficiaries and about 700,000 citizens have scheduled their appointment.
He reminded the cases of booster dose for all over 18 years old who do not belong to the group of immunosuppressed. The third dose will be given 6 months after the second dose with the Pfizer or AstraZeneca or Moderna vaccines. The booster dose is with a Pfizer mRNA vaccine or half a dose of the Moderna vaccine. For those vaccinated with the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the booster dose is given two months after vaccination, with the Pfizer, Moderna (half-dose) and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. For those who received a first dose of mRNA vaccine and a second dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, no booster dose is recommended.
Until tomorrow, instructions will be given to those who have become ill about which vaccine to give and never for the booster dose. They will be posted on emvolio.gov.gr.
Regarding the vaccinations in the islands with the third dose, Mr. Themistokleous said that the program has started and in several small islands the booster dose has been completed.
Course of vaccinations
The 13,860,000 vaccinations were exceeded today. More than 6,910,000 people have been vaccinated with one dose, ie 65.8% of the general population and 75.3% of the adult population. The corresponding EU average is 70% of the general population and 81.3% of the adult population.
It has completed the vaccination of more than 6,550,000 citizens, ie 62.3% of the general population and 71.8% of the adult population. The corresponding EU average is 66.6% of the general population and 76.5% of the adult population. Greece is in third place in the rolling average of 7 days of vaccinations, in 17th place in integrated vaccinations and in 18th place in first dose vaccinations. According to Mr. Themistokleous, about 20,000 appointments are made daily for the first installment.
20,154 citizens have so far applied for the home vaccination program and 17,609 citizens have been vaccinated, mainly from mobile units of the health centers.
Regarding private doctors, Mr. Themistokleous said that 286 have joined the program, as well as 23 polyclinics and so far more than 8,000 vaccinations have been performed out of 3,400 in clinics and 4,650 vaccinations at home.
M. Theodoridou: We have a very difficult winter ahead of us
The necessity of the third dose, which seems to provide significant protection from both hospitalization and death, was returned by the president of the National Vaccination Committee, Maria Theodoridou, who in the briefing also referred to the influenza vaccination, emphasizing that “we have a very difficult winter ahead of us “. The goal of vaccination has been completed despite the large spread of the Delta mutation as there is protection against serious illness and death, he said, explaining that vaccinated people transmit the virus less and for a shorter period of time.
According to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, coronavirus infection is three times more common in unvaccinated people, hospital admissions are twice as common and deaths are seven times higher in those who have not been vaccinated.
Speaking of a Pfizer study of 5,000 people, he said only six people got sick from those who had received the third dose of the vaccine, while 123 people from the group who did not get any vaccine got sick. As he added, in terms of the most serious side effect of pericarditis myocarditis it appeared according to other data in 2 people in one million vaccinated.
Referring to the third dose, he said that the immunity and antibodies that develop after the third dose are very fast and this only happens in two or three days from the day of vaccination. He also stressed that the third dose of vaccine has helped to reduce its spread and reduce cases as has been seen in other countries.
She explained that the Delta mutation has increased recurrence in people who have been sick and vaccinated, and pointed out that insemination and subsequent vaccination offer the best possible immunity.
Speaking about natural immunity, Ms. Theodoridou explained that natural immunity alone is not able to protect 100% of the coronavirus as studies show. Those who have recovered 12 months after, have an immunity that weakens, although we find in humans these satisfactory neutralizing antibodies, the disease rates vary depending on the mutation, as he characteristically said.
Ms. Theodoridou concluded by saying that it is important for everyone to know that the weakening of chemical immunity after natural infection does not protect and that is why, as she said, there will be recommendations of the National Vaccination Committee on what to do regarding the 3rd booster dose. already sick.
Th. Plevris: The third installment is going very well and will end positively
There will be no ban, nor is there a relevant suggestion from the scientific committee, said the Minister of Health Thanos Plevris, in a conversation with the parliamentary authors. He also noted that the third dose is going very well, although there is no interest from an older age for the first dose.
In the pressure of the wave we do not have the vaccinations we want but they are now running at the pace of March, said Mr. Plevris and added: The third dose is going very well and will end positively, however, no interesting first dose is recorded in the elderly, over 60 years old.
Referring to the effectiveness of the recent measures, he said that the youth who have felt “suffocating pressure” have “stung”.
For vaccination rates at the Ministry of Health, he said it is at 75%. I have 25% unvaccinated, and in EOF it is a little lower, said Mr. Plevris.
Asked about the pandemic data, he said that now the numbers will increase, with the good scenario wanting the peak in the first week of December and the bad scenario seeing the “peak” after Christmas.
However, according to the Minister of Health, there is stabilization in the regions that concern us at this time: In Thessaly we can talk about a decline and in Thessaloniki there is stabilization, said Mr. Plevris. interesting, he added, some data, such as that Athens, with +300 cases, “produces” less ICUs than in Thessaloniki.
Finally, he reiterated that it will not be banned for scientific reasons. As he said, 73% of the adult population has been vaccinated and is not at risk of severe mental illness. “The (scientific) committee no longer has a tendency to suggest a lockdown,” he said characteristically.