If the pandemic were a conventional war, doctors and healthcare workers would have been the first line of defence. Their success or failure would have determined the outcome of the battle and they would have suffered the largest number of casualties.
The government, therefore, should be alarmed by the fact that a large percentage of Greek healthcare workers is still reluctant to be vaccinated for COVID-19, and it should be making a greater effort to persuade them.
Those who are bearing the brunt of the now raging epidemic have a duty to have all the necessary weapons in their arsenal so as not to lose ground in the battle against the virus.
This is not only in order to protect them and ensure their effectiveness. Their choice sets an example for other citizens who for their own reasons are reluctant to be vaccinated, as they pay more attention to what healthcare workers are doing than to politicians.
Throughout the pandemic everyone has lauded their self-denial and dedication. If one compares the opinion of Greeks regarding the National Health System before and after the beginning of the epidemic, the increase in the degree of citizens’ trust is patently obvious.
The job of healthcare workers requires that one be responsible and in that sense their vaccination is a responsible act. It is the only course that befits their choice to serve the public health system.
It behoves doctors and healthcare workers to change their mind post haste because that is the only way to inch closer to victory in battle.
Otherwise, one can always follow the example of Italy, where the government decreed that the vaccination of doctors and healthcare workers is mandatory.
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