The first 9,750 doses of the Pfizer-BioΝTech coronavirus vaccine against Covid-19 arrived in Greece under strong security on Christmas Day.
Vaccines will be stored in special areas that meet all drug storage specifications and from there will be distributed to the 450 vaccination posts that will be put into operation gradually.
A special plan with the support of anti-terrorist units and the participation of more than 4,000 police officers was prepared by the Hellenic Police (ELAS), under instructions from the Ministry of Civil Protection, for their storage.
Greece expects to receive 300,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine in the first installment, meaning that 150,000 people will be vaccinated initially (the vaccines will require two doses per patient), government spokesman Stelios Petsas said on Wednesday.
The campaign to vaccinate the population was described by the Minister of Health, Vasilis Kikilias, as the largest of its kind since World War II, while Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis referred to it as “Operation Irini (Operation Freedom)”.
Meanwhile, Greek health officials announced on Friday 617 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 in the country, bringing the total number to 134,852.
The number of intubated patients was 470 patients with coronavirus are currently intubated (the average age is 67), while 851 left the ICU.
The National Public Health Organization (EODY) said 50 people died from Covid-19 in Greece, increasing the total number of deaths to 4,507.