The number of vaccinations, particularly those over 60 years old, remains a major headache for the health ministry, Health Minister Thanos Plevris said on Monday while speaking on MEGA TV.
He also emphasised that vaccinations remains the only viable strategy against Covid at present, as possible treatments were still "too distant".
Plevris also noted that, while up to 60 pct of the general population and 70 pct of the adult population were vaccinated, these rates were not evenly distributed in the country, with some areas having much lower rates of vaccination.
He stressed that the numbers tell the truth and send a clear message, as 87 to 90 pct of the patients in ICUs are either unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated.
"Many times we are asked about the monoclonal antibodies and the new treatments against COVID-19," Plevris said and explained that there are promising treatments involving pills being developed by two or three pharmaceutical companies.
"We are in coordination as the EU but also separately, as Greece, to proceed with these supplies but we will not have reliable data on these treatments before the new year.
"So, it is very important for the citizens to know that for the next three to four months, our only protection, apart from the self-protection measures, is vaccination".
Finally, he revealed that he has met with all the companies that have such drugs, adding that the new medicines will not be available before January or February 2022 at the earliest and may take up to seven or eight months.
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