Out of a total of 108 465 citizens aged between 30 and 39 who had booked a vaccination appointment by 2 p.m. on April 28th, about 54% are estimated to be men and 46% women, according to government sources – in estimated absolute numbers, this translates as 58 724 men and 49 741 women.
Based on a population estimate made by the National Statistical Office on 1 January 2020, these figures indicate that 9% of men and 7% of women in this age group responded to the vaccination call with the AstraZeneca jab within a 40-hour period (the inoculation appointment platform for 30-somethings who are registered in the e-prescribing system opened at about 10 p.m. on 26 April).
About 8% of the total estimated population aged 30-39 responded to the vaccination call within a 40-hour span. Of these, an estimated 46% are women and 54% are men.
These estimated rates (which we need to monitor over time) suggest that the difference in vaccination turnout between men and women is not as large as one might expect, given the information gap regarding vaccination scheduling for women of childbearing age: It should be noted that on April 26, 2021, a few hours before the platform for vaccination appointments for the 30-39 age group was open, the National Vaccination Committee recommended that women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy in the near future opt for mRNA vaccines. The Secretary General of Primary Health Care, Marios Themistocleous, subsequently stated that those women who choose not to get the AstraZeneca shot will be offered mRNA jabs when their turn comes, based on age – however, no announcement has been made as to when this is expected to take effect for each age group.
It is worth pointing out that the Committee’s recommendation is based on the current absence of data demonstrating that viral vector vaccines (AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson) are completely safe to administer during pregnancy. There is, however, safety data specific to mRNA vaccine use (Pfizer, Moderna) in these populations, as Chair of the National Vaccination Committee Maria Theodoridou, explained during the April 26 briefing for accredited health journalists. “Given the AstraZeneca vaccine was not administered in the US, there is evidence based on a pregnancy record of more than 90 000 pregnancies that shows mRNA vaccination is safe for pregnant women”, Maria Theodoridou asserted, a statement also confirmed by the UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization in a brief on April 17.
Translation: Anatoli Stavroulopoulou