ATHENS — "Vaccination is part of the solution and is obviously our most important weapon in the creation of a 'wall' of immunity against the coronavirus," stated Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias in an article in the Greek newspaper 'Ta Nea' on Friday.

"This winter we face the greatest challenge in our recent history. Greece has never been saved by a surfeit of words. It has been saved and will once again be saved by courageous decisions and major actions," he said.

Kikilias underlined that vaccines will be safe and effective, and that they will fundamentally change the situation regarding the pandemic. "They will create immunity and gradually give us back our work, our sociability and our life," he said. However, he warned that there must be no complacency or relaxation in the implementation of self-protection measures in the meantime, urging people to stick to the restrictions until the vaccination process has been completed.