- Ministry of Health issues circular for 2025–2026 flu season
- Recommends vaccination for seniors, children, pregnant women, and people with chronic conditions
- Also advised for health workers, refugees, homeless populations, and those in close contact with animals
- Officials stress that timely vaccination prevents severe illness and death
Yes, It’s Flu Season Again
The Ministry of Health has released its annual reminder that the flu did not retire after the COVID-19 pandemic. For the 2025–2026 season, the circular emphasizes the importance of timely vaccination, especially for the usual high-risk groups: the elderly, the very young, and individuals with underlying health conditions that make a common cold seem like a siege.
In bureaucratic language, the ministry notes:
“Timely vaccination effectively protects against severe illness or even death, especially for individuals with increased vulnerability.”
Translation: roll up your sleeve, or risk spending Christmas in bed with soup and regret.
Who’s On the List This Time
The National Vaccination Program singles out a familiar lineup:
- Everyone 60 and older
- Babies and children from 6 months to 5 years
- Kids over five and adults with chronic conditions
- Pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women
- Individuals with severe obesity
- Children on long-term aspirin treatment
- Caregivers of infants or vulnerable patients
- People living in closed populations, such as refugees, homeless groups
- Healthcare workers who forgot vaccines are literally their job
- And anyone with regular contact with high-risk animals (yes, even your cousin’s questionable chicken coop counts)
The Annual Ritual
Every autumn, Greece issues this memo, and every autumn a significant chunk of the population pretends they never saw it. Meanwhile, doctors keep repeating the same advice, pharmacists keep stabbing arms, and the flu keeps waiting patiently in the wings.
To make it easier, here’s a quick pro and con list:
Pros of getting the flu shot
- Less chance of spending holidays in bed with a fever and tissues
- You will not infect your entire family just by sneezing at the table
- Pharmacists get to poke you, which makes their week more exciting
- Bragging rights: “I’m vaccinated, are you?”
Cons of skipping the flu shot
- You get to test whether raki is truly a cure-all (spoiler: it isn’t)
- Netflix bingeing while coughing until your ribs hurt
- The joy of explaining to coworkers that you “just have the flu, not COVID”
- Missing out on the easiest public health win of the year
So yes, the annual memo is here, the recommendations are clear, and the needles are ready. At the end of the day, the choice is simple: either take five minutes for a jab, or take five days to regret not taking it. And remember — the flu vaccine may not make you immortal, but it is still more effective than your grandmother’s hot raki with honey.