Brussels will begin a phased opening of ten vaccination centres between now and March, Brussels Health Minister Alain Maron on Thursday.
The centres will have a capacity of 375,000 vaccines per month from March onwards to reach the vaccination target of at least 70% of the Brussels population, Maron said.
These ten centres will be strategically distributed throughout the territory to reach a maximum number of people. Depending on attendance, a vaccination centre will be able to open its doors or be put on temporary pause to increase or decrease its capacity.
At the beginning of February, four centres will open - at the Heysel site (40,000 vaccinations per month), at Boulevard Pacheco (20,000 vaccinations/month); in Forest-Albert (20,000 vaccinations per month); and in Schaarbeek (also 20,000 vaccinations per month).
At the beginning of March, the other centres will be opened in the Parliamentarium (Ixelles), the Military Hospital (Neder-Over-Heembeek), Molenbeek, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, Anderlecht, and in the south-east of Brussels at a location yet to be determined.
Related News
- Belgium to start administering Moderna vaccine on Monday
- Pfizer investigates if vaccine can stay in a regular fridge for longer
The various vaccines are stored at a central storage location, and a central storage manager at the Pacheco centre will manage the stocks and carry out deliveries of the vaccines to the vaccination centres on the basis of orders received from the medical director and/or the operational coordinator of the centre.
Maron emphasised that the Brussels vaccination strategy is based on the recommendations of the federal and inter-federal working groups, the High Council of Health and the opinion of medical and field experts, but also on the evolution of the epidemiological situation and its impact in order to best respond to the specific characteristics of Brussels.
Several vaccination phases have been established. The one targeting nursing homes has been underway since 28 December. In Brussels, 10,000 people have so far been vaccinated in this context. Staff will start being vaccinated there from 18 January, as will hospital care staff.
Healthcare staff in other healthcare communities will start being vaccinated at the beginning of February, as will primary care staff such as general practitioners, home care nurses, physiotherapists and dentists.
In March, and depending on the delivery of vaccines, people over 65 can start getting vaccinated.
The Brussels Times
