People working in critical positions in the police force will be vaccinated against Covid-19 from mid-February, as a part of Belgium's updated vaccination strategy.
The first shipment of AstraZeneca vaccines will be used to administer the first vaccination dose to a significant number of people, including police officers who work in the field.
"I am pleased that the police forces in the field are being administered a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine so quickly," Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden said in a press release.
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"During their law enforcement duties, it is not always possible to keep the necessary distance, which makes them extremely susceptible to infection," she added.
Verlinden supports the Vaccination Taskforce's decision not to administer the AstraZeneca vaccine to people over 55 years old, but for four other groups between 18 and 55 years old.
Due to the adjusted vaccination strategy, police officers who often come in direct contact with the public (intervention units) will now be vaccinated faster than planned, and will therefore be at a significantly lower risk of falling ill due to Covid-19.
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic in Belgium, over 3,600 police officers have already tested positive for the virus.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
