Greece Opens Flu Vaccination Season with 3.64 Million Doses
Greece launched this year's seasonal influenza vaccination campaign on 2 October 2026. Manolis Katsarakis, secretary-general of the Panhellenic Pharmaceutical Association, confirmed that total vaccine imports for the year are expected to reach approximately 3.64 million doses, up from 3.5 million last season, with about 30 percent of the allocated vaccines already distributed to pharmacies across the country as the campaign began.
Influenza vaccination through pharmacies in Greece has grown steadily: approximately 1.4 million doses were administered via pharmacies in the 2023-24 season, rising to 1.92 million in 2024-25 and 2.04 million in 2025-26. Health authorities hope the trend continues, to curb the spread of the seasonal virus and protect those at highest risk of complications.
About 460,000 doses of enhanced vaccines, which provide a stronger immune response in the elderly and those with organ failure, have also been imported this year. Pharmacists advise that if the enhanced vaccine is unavailable, people over 65 should not delay vaccination but use any available conventional vaccine instead.
The flu season is a fixed item on Greece's public health calendar each year. With total doses up on last season and community pharmacies remaining the main channel, the health ministry and the pharmacists' association will adjust later deliveries to the pace of uptake. Vaccination is delivered through community pharmacies across the country.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 流感疫苗（示意）。照片：Whispyhistory，CC BY-SA 4.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons（Comirnaty Omicron XBB.1.5 vial and influenza vaccine 2023.jpg）
