Residents of residential care centers and seniors over the age of 80 can get a second booster vaccine against the coronavirus. This was decided by the health ministers on Friday.
This was reported by the Health and Welfare Agency.
On the Flemish side, the elderly concerned – from 400,000 to 450,000 people – will receive an invitation for such a second booster dose within the coming weeks. Vaccination centers are also expanding again and should be ready to vaccinate the target group within two to three weeks.
Thus it appears that health ministers are ignoring advice from the Supreme Health Council (SHC). At the request of the immunization task force, this board issued its advice for the second booster shot earlier this week. In it, the Supreme Health Council stated that it is not currently necessary to provide a second booster vaccine to the general population, nor has a second booster dose recommended for a group of people over 80 years of age or residing in residential care settings.
‘meaningful’
IMC Public Health has now given the green light after all. According to Flemish Health Minister Wouter Beke (CD&V), it makes sense to provide a second booster to the vulnerable group of comfort home residents over the age of 80. They are the most likely to get seriously ill from Covid-19. Their immunity can be less optimal due to their advanced age, and in residential care centers there is still a risk of an outbreak around the corner, where the virus can spread rapidly. Plus, this group was the first to get a booster dose in the previous campaign, which means they’ve already had the most time since the last immune boost,” Beck explains.
A second booster for the general population is not yet on the agenda. “For our younger population, the risk of contracting Covid is lower and we currently estimate that a second booster is not sufficiently useful,” Beck says.
Wallonia is different
The approach in Wallonia will be somewhat different. People who wish to receive a second payment and fulfill the conditions will be able to do so on an individual basis. If the epidemiological situation remains the same, the vaccination campaign will not start until after the summer, said Christy Morial, a minister in the Walloon government.
