Walloon Minister of Health Christie Morreale was on the set of C’est pas tous les jours dimanche to answer viewers’ questions. Compulsory vaccination was discussed in particular.
Significant increase in contamination, 3th dose of vaccine, wearing of reinforced masks despite the Covid Safe Ticket, hospitals forced to close beds for lack of staff … Should we fear the 4th vague? Will Belgium step up its measures? Christie Morrreale, Walloon Minister of Health (PS), was invited on the set of C’est pas tous les jours dimanche to answer the questions that viewers have.
One of them wondered whether it was not necessary “isolate more and more the unvaccinated as in Austria. Can we expect measures like this?“. Last Friday, the Austrian Chancellor announced a plan for the national containment of people who are not vaccinated or do not have an antibody certificate.”The goal is clear: we want to give the green light to national containment for unvaccinated people“Alexander Schallenberg said at a press conference. Will Belgium follow this example? Christie Morreale answered this question.”On the vaccination obligation, I had always said that it was necessary to see, if we arrived in this 4th wave that was expected, whether we held the shock or not. If we see that we have postponed care as was the case previously, we can no longer accept it and we will have to take increasingly strong measures.“
It will be necessary to put on the table the vaccination obligation
Could a vaccination obligation thus be put in place? “We will have to put the vaccine obligation on the table, I think it’s important, assured the Walloon Minister of Health. Or all the measures that will lead to a maximum obligation for all. I think we should be able to relive in freedom.“
According to Christie Morreale, you have to think about the health care staff who are “exhausted“and whose workload must be reduced.”If we do not succeed, we will have to take measures towards compulsory vaccination (…) I think we have to look at how things are going in the coming weeks. It is very critical for the moment, we can see that it is at the limit. If we have to go back to postponing care, quite honestly, I think, and many vaccinated people are asking for it, we should be able to go further.“The subject could be on the table of the next Codeco, the exact date of which is not yet known. But”at most on Friday, decisions will be made“, assure Christie Morreale.
The Walloon Minister of Health also explains that vaccinating citizens costs the Belgian state less money than testing them. “The state currently pays almost 25 million euros per week to be able to test citizens. It’s huge for the community. Calculate the number of tests that have been carried out over the past two years. The cost of a vaccine is much cheaper. Two vaccines cost less than a PCR test. If it’s effective, and it is, I think that’s the way we should go.“
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