The platform is now live emvolio.gov.gr, and all citizens can find information about vaccination against COVID-19. Based on the current schedule for vaccine shipments, the appointment platform will open in the second ten-day period of January for the vaccination of the general public.
«The National COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign has begun. The vaccine It's in our hands. Approved for its safety, quality, and effectiveness by the relevant international and national organizations, the World Health Organization, the EMA and FDA», according to emvolio.gov.gr.
Vaccination is free for everyone, begins for frontline healthcare workers, vulnerable groups, those in residential facilities and care facilities, and those serving in critical government services. The goal is to vaccinate the entire population aged 18 and older.
Η National Commission for Vaccination can change the priority depending on the number of installments that will be available. «You don’t need to call to get vaccinated, as everyone will be notified of their appointment at the appropriate time.”. The vaccine is optional, but necessary to protect ourselves and our fellow citizens. And we won’t forget. We’ll keep wearing masks and maintaining social distancing for as long as necessary.».
Eight Key Questions and Answers About Vaccinations
The platform provides answers to questions about COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination, general information about the vaccine, and the third section covers electronic prescriptions and the process for scheduling a vaccination appointment.
Eight key questions and answers about vaccinations, as listed on emvolio.gov.gr:
1. When will the COVID-19 vaccine be available in our country?;
Vaccinations will begin as soon as the available vaccines receive final approval from the relevant European authorities, which is expected to happen by the end of the year. Vaccination of the population will begin in early January, in accordance with the guidelines of the National Vaccination Committee.
2. What process will be used to vaccinate the population in our country?;
Vaccinations for groups within the general population will begin in January 2021. To ensure the smooth implementation of this process, the following steps will be followed:
* According to the criteria of the National Vaccination Committee, it will be determined by the General Secretariat for Public Administration Information Systems, a single list of vaccine recipients. These eligible individuals are pre-assigned to specific vaccination centers based on their tax address, which is the most up-to-date version, and their appointments are scheduled in advance for specific days and times. Therefore, All appointments will be scheduled before the vaccination campaign even begins and will be finalized only after the beneficiary confirms their attendance. The citizen, provided that it is registered in the electronic prescription system, automatically receives a text message or email with the pre-set meeting location, on a specific date and time. Along with the appointment details, they receive a special verification code and a link where they can confirm and finalize their appointment.
* Citizens who are not registered for electronic prescriptions will be able to book an appointment online by entering their AMKA on the relevant platform and the system will automatically notify them if they belong to the groups currently being vaccinated. If they belong to a priority group, they can book an appointment by entering their Taxisnet codes.
* In addition, those who are not familiar with digital technology can contact call center, and by providing their AMKA and identification information, they can find out when they are scheduled to be vaccinated; finally, as an alternative, citizens They can schedule an appointment at a pharmacy or a KEP once this option becomes available.
3. How effective is the COVID-19 vaccine?;
After receiving both doses of the vaccine, most people will be protected. It takes at least a week after the second dose for immunity to develop, and at this time it is not yet clear exactly how long that immunity will last, but it is estimated to be more than one year. There is a small chance that someone could still get infected even after receiving the vaccine. This means it is important to continue following safety measures until a larger portion of the population has been vaccinated.
4. Who covers the cost of the vaccination?;
All European citizens will be vaccinated for free. The cost of vaccination in our country is fully covered by the European Union and the Greek government.
5. Which population groups will be given priority for vaccination?;
The National Health System It is initially offering the COVID-19 vaccine to healthcare workers and those most at risk. Healthcare workers are the first group to be vaccinated so that they can protect themselves and continue to care for the public. At the same time, priority will be given to staff and residents of nursing homes and other facilities for the chronically ill. Next, those over 60 years of age, those with chronic conditions, and those working in essential government services will be vaccinated. After that, the entire population over the age of 18 will be vaccinated. The order in which the vaccine will be administered to the population will be based on the guidelines of the National Vaccination Committee.
6. Once I've been vaccinated, will I be able to go back to my previous lifestyle?;
It is estimated that a large percentage of the population (about 7 out of 10) must first be vaccinated before herd immunity is achieved. Therefore, we must continue to follow protective measures just as consistently until a large portion of the population has been vaccinated.
7. How safe are the vaccines that will be released?;
So far, hundreds of thousands of people have received the COVID-19 vaccine without any reports of serious side effects, other than the usual ones observed in some people after vaccination. The vaccines that will be used in our country have been approved for their safety, quality, and efficacy by the relevant international organizations, the EMA (European Medicines Agency) and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), and have been reviewed by the WHO (World Health Organization). All vaccines will have undergone clinical trials to assess their immunogenicity and safety and will have been tested in several successive phases (Phase 1–3 trials). According to the regulations, for a vaccine to receive marketing authorization, at least 30,000 people must participate in Phase 3 trials. This requirement will also be met for these vaccines. It should be noted that monitoring for any rare adverse effects continues internationally even after vaccination begins.
8. Do vaccines cause side effects?;
Any side effects that may occur are mild and temporary, such as pain in the arm at the injection site, fever, malaise, muscle aches, and headache. All of these symptoms subside quickly, usually within 24 hours. Taking acetaminophen helps relieve these symptoms. It is very rare for anyone to experience a severe reaction to the vaccine (anaphylaxis). If this happens, it usually occurs within a few minutes, and the staff administering the vaccine are trained to treat any allergic reactions immediately.
