ATHENS – The approval of the updated vaccines against COVID-19 in relation with the variant Omicron is expected in August, stated Health Minister Thanos Plevris to radio SKAI on Friday.

Plevris said that the new vaccines will protect from the infection, the illness and the serious illness, according to information from the pharmaceutical companies. Later, he said, these vaccines will also cover the variants 4 and 5 and for these reason Greece has transferred the largest part of its order for vaccines to the last quarter of the year.

On the course of the pandemic, the Health Minister said that the coronavirus wave that prevailed in June and July has flattened and is declining while a further drop in infections is expected in the next weeks. However, he said that a new wave is expected in September but, as he noted, “we have antivirus medicines, large vaccination coverage and more better therapeutic protocols”