The AstraZeneca vaccine will finally be administered to those over 55 in Belgium, allowing the authorities to "
immediately start
" the anti-Covid vaccination of the elderly, Minister of Health Frank Vandenbroucke announced on Wednesday evening.
Read also: AstraZeneca vaccine accessible to over 65s: a new missed opportunity to simplify the French strategy
A month ago, Belgium decided to initially reserve the AstraZeneca vaccine for 18-55 year olds, for lack of sufficient data on its effectiveness beyond this age.
But recent studies in the UK and Israel have shown that it "
also offers people over the age of 55 good protection against illness and hospitalization linked to COVID-19,
" said a statement released to the United States. 'resulting from a meeting of all the ministers - at the federal level and the regions - responsible for Health.
The ministers decided to follow the positive opinion given on Tuesday by the Higher Health Council.
As a result of this expansion, "
the vaccination of people over 65 (around 2.2 million people) can begin immediately, preferably in older people
," the statement added.
"
This should make it possible to speed up the protection of the most vulnerable
".
To date, Belgium, a country of 11.5 million inhabitants, has vaccinated 5.70% of its population over the age of 18 with a first dose (approximately 525,000 people), and 3.47% with the two injections required (320,000).
Since January, priority has been given to residents and employees of retirement homes, then to hospital staff, and from February to so-called “
front-line
”
caregivers
, dentists and medical professionals working in town.
This vaccination campaign is criticized for its slowness and Frank Vandenbroucke himself admitted Sunday "
hiccups
" and "
unacceptable delays
".
Vaccination in collective centers of people over 65, the next step planned from next week, risked a difficult start by relying only on the Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.
Belgium has reserved a total of some 7.7 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, the largest of its anti-Covid vaccine orders.
