The Health Ministry urged Cypriots to get a COVID-19 jab as most coronavirus infections and hospitalisations involve younger people who are not vaccinated.
Health authorities are concerned as 24% of cases detected in June are aged 18 to 30.
Another 21.1% belongs to the age group 30-39, meaning that four in ten cases involve the under 40s, as they have the lowest vaccination rates.
According to a Health Ministry announcement on Friday, increased cases with more serious symptoms and hospitalisations have been recorded among people who have not been vaccinated.
“Only 3% of locally acquired infections involve people who have completed their vaccination, with the percentage of positive cases that have not received even the first dose of the vaccine reaching about 96%,” the ministry said.
It said there were just two cases of people who had completed their vaccination had developed symptoms.
Data from patients confirm the findings regarding the protection offered by vaccination.
Between 1-16 June, less than 1% of people hospitalised had received a vaccine shot.
“The importance of vaccination for the protection of public health is also proved by the fact that none of the patients was fully vaccinated.”
Cyprus is closing in its June target of vaccinating 65% of the adult population, with 61.8% receiving a COVID-19 jab.
And 42.9% of the population is fully vaccinated.
Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou urged younger people to get a jab as soon as possible.
“The fact that people over the age of 40, and especially those over the age of 50, have been vaccinated and shielded at a very satisfactory rate has substantially reduced the incidence in these age groups.
“Now, most cases are observed in younger ages, especially in individuals under 30 years of age.”
He argued that it was sad to see that younger people are not taking up their appointments for a jab, with the percentage of vaccinated people in those age groups remaining low.
The Vaccination Portal opened on Friday for everyone over 18 and will remain open for the next period, with vaccines coming online as they arrive.
