The platform for the third dose for people over 60 and healthcare workers opens on September 30.

The exhibition opens on September 30 platform for the granting of third dose of the vaccine against COVID-19, for those over 60 and those healthcare. Next week, the platform will open for people living in the Care units for the elderly, said the Secretary General for Primary Health Care, Marios Themistokleous, during the briefing on the National Vaccination Plan for COVID-19.

The third dose will be administered six months after they receive their second dose.

Since September 14, when the platform for the third dose for immunocompromised individuals opened, 13,175 vaccinations have been administered.

Mr. Themistokleous made it clear that the booster shot is not mandatory and that a person is considered fully vaccinated if they have received two doses of a vaccine (Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna) or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The booster shot, he said, is strongly recommended to further increase protection.

He added that the list of beneficiaries for the third installment, once six months have passed since the date of the second dose, will be updated at regular intervals so that eligible individuals can schedule appointments for the third dose.

Course of vaccinations

The number of vaccinations surpassed 11,900,000 today. 60.6% of the general population and 70% of the adult population have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

More than 90,000 citizens have made appointments in the last 7 days to receive their first dose of the vaccine, with the overwhelming majority of appointments being made by younger people.

Data on vaccinations among young children

•    In the 35–39 age group, 59.8% have already been vaccinated, and if we include those with scheduled appointments, the figure rises to 60.4%.
•    In the 30–34 age group, 59.3% have already been vaccinated, and if we include those with appointments, the total is 60%.
•    In the 25–29 age group, 58.8% have already been vaccinated, and if we include those with appointments, the figure rises to 59.7%.
•    In the 18–24 age group, 50.2% have already been vaccinated, and if we include those with appointments, the figure rises to 51.3%.
•    In the 15–17 age group, 28.7% have already been vaccinated, and if we include those with scheduled appointments, the total rises to 30%. “98,000 children have already been vaccinated,” said Mr. Themistokleous.
•    In the 12–14 age group, 15.7% have already been vaccinated, and if we include those with scheduled appointments, the total rises to 17.44%. A total of 56,000 children in this age group have already been vaccinated.

Finally, 10,500 citizens have applied for the at-home vaccination program so far, and 8,500 citizens have been vaccinated.

M. Theodoridou: Third vaccine dose for those over 60 and healthcare workers

The green light for the third dose of the vaccine against coronavirus, was given by Hellenic Vaccination Committee to those over 60 as well as to healthcare workers. This is what its president said during the regular briefing, Maria Theodoridou, which made it clear that the current recommendation is for those over 60 and healthcare workers to receive a third dose. It should be noted that the administration of a third dose to immunocompromised individuals has already begun.

«The groups being prioritized are the elderly, those living in long-term care facilities, and people over the age of 60. These are groups for whom the risk of infection—as epidemiological data show—is significant if they have not received their third dose,» he said, citing data from studies that show that Among those aged 60 to 79, the percentage of those hospitalized in ICUs is still 59.2%, and the percentage of those who die is 48%.

«We have seen that chemical and cellular immunity wane over time, which is why a third booster dose is needed,’, Ms. Theodoridou noted. Speaking about healthcare workers, she said they are at increased risk due to the Delta variant, as they may become infected, have minimal symptoms, or be asymptomatic but still transmit the virus in their workplace or family environment. That is why it is essential for them to receive the third dose as well, he emphasized.

He added that this can occur 6 to 8 months after the second dose is administered.

Ms. Theodoridou explained that The coming months will be critical for the course of the pandemic, emphasizing that each country charts its own course while also following the guidelines of international organizations. However, he explained that «the situation is different right now in Denmark than it is in Greece.».

When asked by the Athens and Macedonian News Agency whether we had reached a vaccination rate of 80% to 85% and whether we could avoidthe third dose, he said that this would not have been possible because The degradation of antibodies is a natural process that occurs over time.

He then referred to the first encouraging data from Israel, where it appears that the administration of the third dose is proving effective, as half of the people who received the third dose more than doubled their antibody titers.

«Perhaps the third dose will also be the last dose in the overall COVID-19 vaccination program,» Ms. Theodoridou concluded. When asked whether we should wait for the official recommendation from the EMA, the European Medicines Agency, before recommending a third dose for those over 60, Ms. Theodoridou implied that Every country charts its own course. «»We would like the EMA’s decision to be made sooner,” he said, noting that our goal now is to protect the population and prevent potentially worse situations in the future.”.

Finally, Ms. Theodoridou explained that the main reasons the committee recommended a third dose are the decline in antibody levels combined with the emergence of viral mutations, which raised serious concerns about administering the third dose.