Using a possible seventh "bonus dose" that can be taken from the vials from the Pfizer vaccine is no longer permitted, according to the Agency for Care and Health.
Pfizer's vials contain five doses as standard, but with a special type of syringe, it is possible to get six full doses, and exceptionally even seven.
This sixth dose - called a bonus dose - already provided Flanders with more than 5,000 extra vaccinations. That one is still allowed, but the occasional seventh dose can no longer be administered.
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The decision has nothing to do with the quality of the seventh dose, as the seventh dose is just as effective as the first one, according to the Agency.
However, there is no guarantee that these people can also get their second injection, as it is not certain that two extra doses can again be taken from the vial at that point.
For the facilities that have already administered several of these seventh doses, the agency is now working on a solution, as providing an extra vial for the second round is not possible.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
