‘Age factor’

Unvaccinated Greek Residents Over 60 Will Face Up to 100 Euro Fines

Greece will fine older residents who refuse the jab for COVID-19, according to a new mandate aimed at shoring up vaccinations in a country that lags behind its EU peers.

Older people who refuse to get vaccinated in Greece will soon face fines after the country issued a coronavirus vaccine mandate on Monday for people over age 60. Seniors who aren't vaccinated will be slapped with a 50-euro fine in January that will climb to 100 euros in subsequent months. The mandate, first announced last month, comes as the nation’s vaccination rate (currently roughly two-thirds of its population) lags slightly behind the EU average, which just tips 70 percent. Greece currently ranks as the world’s seventh oldest population based on its share of residents aged 65 and over, according to the Population Reference Bureau. “The age factor is important because of its impact on the public health service,” Health Minister Thanos Plevris told Open TV on Sunday. Plevris said the fines collected would be used for state hospitals.