Greece to fine over-60s who refuse COVID-19 vaccine

Greece will be making COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for people aged 60 and over.

BBC News reports fines of about $200 will be imposed at monthly intervals from mid-January on those who refuse.

The money will go towards the Greek health system, which is struggling with a surge in hospital admissions.

About 63% of Greece's 11-million population is fully vaccinated, but data show more than 520,000 people over 60 are yet to get the jab.

Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis sad the measure is still to be put to a parliamentary vote, he said, but lawmakers are widely expected to approve it.

While countries have made vaccines mandatory for health workers and other high-risk workers, Greece will become the first in the EU to target a specific age group.

Austria has announced that compulsory Covid vaccinations will start in February.

The virus has claimed more than 18,000 lives in Greece.

[Source: BBC]