Taxis get Greek health workers to where jabs needed

Public health authorities in Greece have stepped up a campaign to deliver coronavirus booster shots to seniors and people with mobility difficulties at home – with one agency outside Athens hiring taxis to take healthcare workers where vaccinations are most needed.

Medical workers in the Halandri district, north of Athens, have been using day-hired cabs to make house calls and deliver booster shots as Greece races to protect the vulnerable ahead of the expected impact of the omicron variant of COVID-19.

Although less than two-thirds of the population in Greece is fully vaccinated, booster-shot uptake has seen a surge in recent weeks with nearly 30% of the population now having received a third dose.

The country is fighting a sharp increase in COVID-related deaths that has put pressure on the public health service.

Much about the omicron coronavirus variant remains unknown, including whether it causes more or less severe illness.

Scientists say omicron spreads even easier than other coronavirus strains, including delta.

Early studies suggest the vaccinated will need a booster shot for the best chance at preventing an omicron infection but even without the extra dose, vaccination still should offer strong protection against severe illness and death.