ATHENS – With attention focused on coronavirus fears – there hasn’t been a case in Greece yet – the death toll from the flu shot up to 53 after 15 people died in a week the National Organization for Public Health (EODY) said in its weekly bulletin.

Fifty of the those were in high-risk groups while 18 had been vaccinated against the illness but perished anyway as health authorities urge people to get inoculated although many in Greece shun getting the shot.

The victims were 28 men and 25 women, aged from 4 to 91 years old. The majority, 49, were infected with Type A flu, the EODY report said, adding there have been 187 serious infections confirmed since the start of the flu season in October in 2019.

Despite the risk, only 37.4 percent of patients were vaccinated amid worries the problem could worsen with the flu season on.