Beke: ‘4 million vaccines by the summer’

By this summer, our country will have 4 million vaccines against the corona virus available, says Flemish minister Wouter Beke. He expects the vaccination plan to be approved tomorrow.

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The various competent Ministers of Health will meet again tomorrow to discuss the vaccination strategy of our country. That was already the case this morning, but then no agreement could be reached on the plan within the Interministerial Conference on Public Health. Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke (SP.A) first wanted to discuss the issue within the federal government tonight.

Teaching staff

So who gets vaccinated first may be decided tomorrow. Flemish Minister of Health Wouter Beke (CD&V) was already able to explain a number of things in the Flemish Parliament. “Right now we can expect 4 million vaccines by the summer, starting with 600,000 in January,” he said. ‘But if companies can deliver faster, we will also be able to vaccinate faster.’

According to Beke, the plan about the vaccination strategy refers to three priority groups. The first is that of the staff and residents in residential care centers, the staff in hospitals and care facilities. Two other priority target groups are the over-65s and people between 45 and 65 years with underlying conditions.

Afterwards, people in essential sectors such as police and fire brigade would be involved. If it depends on Flanders, that includes the teaching staff, said Beke.

Syringes ordered

Exactly how the rollout will go, according to the CD&V minister, still depends in part on the chosen vaccines and the companies that supply the vaccines. Flanders has taken the necessary preparatory measures, from preparing information campaigns to opening up the Vaccinnet to the other regions, says Beke. It has also placed orders for underlying equipment such as syringes. That is actually an order from the federal Medicines Agency (FAMHP), but Flanders has placed additional orders to be on the safe side, according to the minister.

Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open VLD) made himself strong earlier in the day that our country can start vaccinating the population from 5 January.

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