Adonis Georgiades announces cancellation of fines for unvaccinated elderly people

With legislation to be tabled soon, the government is cancelling fines on elderly people who did not get vaccinated during the pandemic. The vaccine is not being given by force, said the Health Minister Adonis Georgiades, noting that he wishes that the dispute between those who are against the vaccination and those who support will cease.

At the extraordinary press conference of the Ministry of Health on the outbreak of Covid, influenza and other viruses, the Minister stressed the great importance of vaccination. "The first conclusion is the great importance of vaccination, both for influenza and Covid. The issue of vaccination divided the public and we fought with each other. Both the ministry and I believe that this era of ideological and political conflict has come to an end," he said.

Mr. Georgiades pointed out that we should learn to live with Covid. "The Covid vaccine is another vaccine we are used to getting, it has been tested more than any other and it is absolutely certain that those who get it save their lives for sure. The ministry will be carrying out a major campaign to convince even the most sceptical ones about the value this vaccine has for public health."

Adonis Georgiades then referred to the deletion of fines for the elderly. "As part of the reconciliation and the end of the conflict, we proposed and submitted a legislative initiative to delete the fines imposed on the elderly, which was accepted. The vaccine cannot be forced. Annual vaccination must become a routine, especially for the vulnerable ones," he said, adding that all vaccination channels will be used, including for the flu vaccine, as well as pharmacies if possible.