Greece Calls On Teachers To Vaccinate Against COVID-19 As School Reopening Approaches

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd July, 2021) Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Thursday urged school employees to get vaccinated against the coronavirus ahead of the upcoming school year to avoid a surge in infections in classrooms.

He addressed a press conference on mental health, held in Athens by the country's health ministry and the World Health Organization. The prime minister noted that apart from physical symptoms, the coronavirus also has a psychological impact on people, taking into account lockdowns and other restrictive measures that affect national mental health. The best policy to address mental disorders among minors was to ensure their return to school, he explained.

"From this podium, invite the educational staff, teachers and professors: Please, get vaccinated! So that we will be in a position to reopen our schools safely and with the least possible problems in September," Mitsotakis was quoted as saying by Greek Ekathimerini newspaper.

The urgency is also connected to risks of school closure if COVID-19 cases occur there, the prime minister specified, adding that replacing an infected Primary school teacher would also be a challenging task.

Greece began its national vaccination campaign in late December, and so far has administered nearly 10 million doses. To date, at least 4.7 million, or 44% of Greek citizens have been fully vaccinated.�