ATHENS – He couldn’t convince some of his own party’s anti-vaxxers for a long time, but major rival SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras – who contracted COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated – said it hit him hard and advised skeptics to be inoculated.

He said on social media: “Take care of yourself, of your dear ones, and those you come into contact with. The virus is no joke, and for many people it is anything but a simple cold.”

He urged people to get their vaccinations, wear masks, maintain social distancing, keep calmness and “above all,” show solidarity at the same time he’s ripping the ruling New Democracy for its handling of the pandemic.

Tsipras said he had a temperature and had a strong headache for three days and felt tired while he remained in isolation during a quarantine period because the virus was so powerful.

He had three shots, including a booster, but the Coronavirus is being spread by anti-vaxxers and infecting even the vaccinated, although with lesser symptoms for most people.

There were hard-core elements in his party resisting the shots, including tahe notoriously heavy-smoking former deputy health minister Pavlos Polakis, who was opposed to the vaccine until Tsipras reportedly made him get it.