Greece starts vaccinating kids 5-11, introduces mandatory PCR test for all travellers

·

Greece, Italy and a handful of other European Union nations began vaccinating children ages 5-11 against COVID-19 on Wednesday as EU governments braced for the omicron variant to spread quickly during the travel and large gatherings of the holiday season.

Youngsters getting their first shot in Greece were given stickers and the day off from school.

Greece administered its first shots to younger children hours after authorities announced the country’s highest daily death toll of the pandemic: 130 people. Among the first to respond was Greek Education Minister Niki Kerameus.

A staff member from the National Health Organisation (EODY) prepares a booster Johnson and Johnson vaccine against COVID-19 at Karatepe refugee camp, on the northeastern Aegean island of Lesbos, Greece, Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021. Photo: AP Photo/Panagiotis Balaskas.

“I won’t hide the fact that on a personal level, after having talked with doctors and receiving scientific data, our family decided to vaccinate our son, who is 5 1/2 years old,” Kerameus said before taking her son, Loukas, to get his shot at an Athens hospital.

EU regulators last month approved a reduced-dose vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech for use in the 5-11 age group.

Mandatory PCR tests:

This vaccination drive comes as Greece’s Health Ministry announced on Wednesday that all travellers to Greece will have to show a mandatory negative PCR test for COVID-19 starting on Sunday.

All travellers to Greece will have to show a mandatory negative PCR test for COVID-19 starting on Sunday.

The measure affects all travellers, whether they are vaccinated against COVID-19 or not, irrespective of the country of departure. The only exception is for travellers who have spent less than 48 hours in a country prior to arriving in Greece.

The PCR test must have been carried out 48 hours before. The measure goes into effect at 6am on Sunday, December 19, 2021.

In a press release, the Greek Health Ministry said that the measure is in the context of the effort to control the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Final farewell at Stanmore as Cyprus Community of NSW prepares to relocate

The Cyprus Community of NSW’s club, located at Stanmore for over four decades, is set to relocate, with an “End of an Era” party being held.

Kindred souls: West African blues meet Greek rebetiko

Stani Goma and Con Kalamaras are working on a project to bring West African and Greek roots music together.

What the 2025 Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal and recognition of Palestine mean for Cyprus

In an age where peace deals are brokered in weeks, Dean Kalimniou reflects on what this means for the unresolved Cyprus question.

Cyprus: Historical and political responsibilities of a national tragedy (Part 4)

The rejection by referendum on 24 April 2004 of the settlement plan of the UN by the Greek Cypriots had negatively influenced the international...

Vamvakou: A mountain village reborn in Greece’s Laconia

The mountain village of Vamvakou in Laconia has transformed into a vibrant community blending tradition and innovation.

You May Also Like

Kiki Tsakaldimi: The first Greek woman who attempted to conquer Mt Everest

Kiki Tsakaldimi, the fisrt ever Greek woman to attempt to climb Mt Everest, talks to The Greek Herald about her journey to the top.

Brooke Robinson’s “­Deoxyribo-Whatever Acid” wins 2020 Lysicrates Prize in Sydney

The Lysicrates Prize 2020 award was given to Brooke Robinson’s play, ­Deoxyribo-Whatever Acid, through an audience vote in Sydney on January 31.

Call for entries for the 15th annual Antipodean Palette

GACL has announced that this year the annual Antipodean Palette group art exhibition will take place on the 12-22 of June.