Nearly 200,000 appointments for COVID-19 booster shots were booked in Greece in just a few hours.
According to data released by the Ministry of Digital Governance, the total of 193,000 bookings the online platform “emvolio.gov.gr” was recorded from Friday night to 10:00 am on Saturday.
At the same time period, another 8,300 appointments were made for the first dose of the coronavirus vaccination.
It follows the exponential increase recorded during the week of first – dose appointments, up to ten times up on daily bookings, after the announcement of a vaccine mandate for people over 60 years of age.
In an effort to boost vaccination rates among the age group, the Greek government instituted fines for those in the 60+ cohort who have not had at least one vaccine or the appointment for one as of January 16.
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The monthly fine is equivalent to about $150 Australian dollars, with Greece becoming the first European country to target an age group with a vaccination mandate.
Meanwhile, a request was approved on Friday by the country’s vaccinations’ committee shortening the booster shot timeframe.
That is, people are eligible to get the booster shot, three months – instead of six – after they completed their vaccination.
Greece opened eligibility for booster shots for the general adult population in November, with Pfizer or Moderna recommended for those who initially got Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Moderna and Pfizer, Moderna or a second Johnson & Johnson shot for those who received the Johnson & Johnson jab.
