Early September Greece will launch vaccine booster shots for persons with immune-compromised health including cancer patients in active therapy treatment, the chairwoman of the National Vaccination Committee Maria Theodoridou announced during the live briefing on Monday.
The booster shots will be available early September and with the aim to combat the more contagious Delta variant of Covid-19.
Priority for the booster shots will be given to immune-compromised people including patients who have been receiving active cancer treatment; individuals who have received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system; and people who suffer from an HIV infection.
According to Theodoridou, booster shots will be available for:
people with transplanted organs or haematopoietic cells
people with kidney failure who are on a therapy
cancer patients who are on a therapy
people with immune-suppression who have either an autoimmune disorder or an illness that suppresses their immunity
people with HIV whose cd4 are below a count of 200
those who must take over 20mg cortisone on a daily basis for more than 30 days.
Only mRNA technology vaccines (those made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) will be used for the booster shots, even for those who have previously received the AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johsnon vaccine.
The third dose must be done no less than four weeks after completing vaccination with Pfizer, Moderna, Astra Zeneca, or Johnson & Johnson shots.
People who have completed vaccination before August qualify for the booster shot, professor Theodoridou said.
The online platform to arrange vaccination appointments for the booster shot is expected to open in the first week of September.
Further announcements on the issue are expected at the vaccination live briefing on Monday, August 30, 2021.