Greeks over the age of 60 not yet vaccinated against the coronavirus will have to get a first shot of a vaccine by January 16 if they want to avoid a hefty fine.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Tuesday (local time) that every citizen over 60 refusing to get vaccinated would be fined 100 euros ($A159) a month, a considerable sum for many Greek pensioners.

“There is only one age group that insists on waiting: Of the 580,000 unvaccinated citizens over the age of 60, only 60,000 got vaccinated in November. And unfortunately, it is the over 60s who get sick and die,” Mr Mitsotakis said.

To help track down those unwilling to receive the shot, the country’s security agency will pass on their data to the tax authority, which will then collect the fine.

The money will go to hospitals.

“This is not a punishment but a bonus for health, an act of justice,” Mr Mitsotakis said.

According to the EU health agency ECDC, 62 per cent of Greece’s 11 million inhabitants are fully vaccinated.

The government is so far not planning to implement another lockdown to combat the coronavirus.

Instead, it has imposed far-reaching restrictions for the unvaccinated. They include mandatory COVID-19 testing when visiting public institutions.

Those who are unvaccinated are also denied access to cultural facilities, fitness centres and restaurants.

-AAP