Young people between 12 and 15 years old can expect their invitation letter for vaccination this week. They will probably be out on Tuesday. By shortening the time between shots, experts hope everyone will be vaccinated by September.
–
The system is still being finalized, but invitations will be sent out from Tuesday. All 12 to 15 year olds will then be able to present themselves to a vaccination center. This group of teenagers does need parental consent to be vaccinated. The parent or legal guardian can give this permission by accompanying the child in the vaccination center or by providing written permission.
They’re getting a Pfizer vaccine anyway. Children and parents who do not want to wait for an invitation can also register on a Qvax reserve list. When there is a surplus of Pfizer injections, the teenagers can be called. The time between injections is also shortened from five to three weeks.
Such a normal school year
In total, about 299,000 children could be vaccinated by September. But how many will actually respond to that invitation is a matter of coffee grounds, says epidemiologist Pierre Van Damme (UAntwerp). ‘There are no figures on the willingness to vaccinate in this group. But we notice that many parents are asking for the vaccination, especially with a view to September. Parents want to start the school year as normal as possible. That is understandable, of course, after two difficult school years.’ According to the large corona study by the University of Antwerp, parents who have been vaccinated themselves are also willing to vaccinate their children.
The willingness to vaccinate among 16 to 18-year-olds appears to be high. 40,000 of the 150,000 have already accepted their invitation, despite the holiday period.
– .
