ATHENS – Greece’s elderly who were fined 100 euros ($109.77) monthly for refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19 at the height of the pandemic has officially ended although it had earlier been suspended.

When the Coronavirus was overwhelming the country and world the government imposed the fines in a bid to make the reluctant be inoculated, especially the elderly who were the most susceptible.

“We were divided in pro- and anti-vaxxers,” said Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis. “We are extending an olive branch. The vaccine is not being given by force but because it is important for our health.”

The legislation went into effect in January 2022 but was dropped later in the year as health measures were lifted to lure tourists and an economic recovery, and with the pandemic beginning to wane. The fines that were collected with put into the tax office accounts of those penalized.

The government still recommends booster shots for the most vulnerable and masks in public gathering places as COVID has rebounded and collided with flu and other viruses to spike respiratory illnesses.