On Monday afternoon, emvolio.gov.gr was opened for the vaccines related to the variants of the Omicron strain of the coronavirus
Given that the coronavirus is still among us, from Wednesday (14/9) a new vaccination campaign begins. Primary vaccination and booster doses protect against severe disease and death, however, the limited duration of immunity and the emergence of mutations dictated the need for new vaccines.
So, updated vaccines are added to the quiver against the virus, while the initials are still available, for those who have not completed their basic vaccination.
Specifically, as announced yesterday, the platform for vaccinations, which start tomorrow, Wednesday, was opened on Monday afternoon 14 September.
Primary vaccination and booster doses protect against severe disease and death. But the limited duration of immunity and the appearance of mutations dictated the need for new vaccines, said the president of the National Immunization Committee, Maria Theodoridou, during today's emergency briefing on the National Vaccine Coverage Plan for the disease COVID-19.
EMA approves two updated vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna targeting Omicron, as well as the original strain of the coronavirus, so that vaccination campaigns can be started quickly. As said by Ms. Theodoridou aims to increase the levels of neutralizing antibodies and are therefore effective against mutations 1,2 and 5 of Omicron. Side effects are similar to the side effects listed above, that is, you drank.
Up-to-date vaccines: They can be administered from the age of 12 years
According to the EMA they can be administered from the age of 12 years and recommendations are determined by national authorities. The updated vaccines are for a booster dose only, after completing the initial vaccination (two doses for healthy individuals and 3 for immunocompromised) regardless of which vaccine had been given. They are given within a period of three months after the last dose of vaccine or illness.
Priority is given to people at increased risk, elderly people 60 years and older, 12-15 years belonging to high-risk groups, people living and working in care units for the elderly and chronically ill, immunocompromised and health professionals.
Who can make the new vaccines?
The updated vaccines are for a booster dose only, that is,, only those who have completed their basic vaccination can receive them, (two doses for healthy individuals and three doses for the immunocompromised), regardless of the type of vaccine used (AstraZeneca, Johnson, Pfizer ή Moderna). Regarding the unvaccinated, or improperly vaccinated, in case they are interested in getting vaccinated, they will be given the monovalent vaccine, i.e. the primary, in two doses (Pfizer, Modern).
Who should receive the booster dose?
The general categories of citizens, to whom the administration of the booster dose is recommended, is:
all persons over 60 years.
all individuals 12-15 years belonging to high-risk groups,
people living or working in senior care facilities,
Health professionals
people living with people who are immunosuppressed.
caregivers of people suffering from high-risk diseases and at risk of complications from the coronavirus.
Today is Tuesday (13/9) the Committee reconvenes, with the aim of drawing up a supplementary list of all chronic diseases that fall under the necessity for vaccination with a booster dose. Scientists, however, they do not exclude the possibility of extending the recommendation to healthy citizens, if the circumstances require it.
"There is thought, because there are also people who are exposed to a serious risk and therefore can be differentiated or even wish to make a vaccine.
We will take everything into account. It is one of those topics that I told you we would work on and capture at the meeting in addition to the long list we have already drawn up for diseases, for situations where vaccination is recommended", said the president of the Commission.
When are the new vaccines given?
The new updated vaccines are administered, according to the recommendations of the National Immunization Committee, in a period of at least three months after the last dose of vaccine or after the illness. In the system, beyond the indications "reminder" and "1st" and "2nd dose", it will be marked "Pfizer" for the original type and "Pfizer BA1" for the updated vaccines. Those citizens who have scheduled an appointment for a booster dose with the original vaccines, they can if they want to reschedule their appointment with the updated ones.
"We see a significant expansion in the near future of options, and what we expect from this existence of many types of vaccines is essentially to reduce the transmissibility of new variants. The main and main goal is, and this must always be borne in mind, boosting immunity to prevent serious disease and death", said Ms.. Theodoridou, emphasizing that timely vaccination with the booster dose is more important than the type of vaccine to be administered.
Today he draws for the fifth installment
In today's meeting, the vaccination committee will decide whether a fifth dose should be given to those over the age of 60 years but also in people with chronic diseases, as the president of the committee, professor Maria Thodoridou, said today in response to relevant questions from journalists.
She spoke about the psychological fatigue of citizens from continuous vaccinations and said that it is an international phenomenon that must be dealt with by persuasion and arguments to citizens and not by additional pressure.
As is well known, the committee had recommended the fourth installment to those over the age of 60 and to those who have serious illnesses with existing vaccines. What the chairperson of the committee specified is that at least three months should have passed since the last installment, or their illness to be able to get the updated vaccine.
Source: dikaiologitika.gr
