Greek Prime Minister Rules Out Compulsory Vaccines For Teachers

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th July, 2021) �Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the option of making vaccination mandatory for teachers was being discussed but eventually discarded as not being the best solution, Ekathimerini newspaper reported.

According to the minister, as cited in the outlet, over 70 percent of the teachers have been vaccinated.

"We want the children to return to school as safely as possible," Mitsotakis was quoted as saying. He added there is a need to convince unvaccinated teachers to get their shots.

Earlier In July, Mitsotakis added employees in some specific sectors, such as healthcare, to the list of those obligated to get vaccinated against COVID-19 due to a surge in the number of coronavirus cases.

However, the country has since witnessed several rallies against the policy.

The most recent protest was held Saturday and saw some 4,500 people gather in downtown Athens. Police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Greece began its national vaccination campaign in late December and so far has administered over 10 million doses. To date, at least 4.9 million, or 46 percent of Greek citizens, have been fully vaccinated.