People were supposed to be able to get a flu shot in pharmacies from Monday. However, the new law that needs to be approved for this will likely not be voted on in time because the Flemish far-right party Vlaams Belang is obstructing it.
Federal Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke wanted people to be able to get their flu vaccine not only from their GP, but also from their pharmacist this autumn. He announced that the decision would come into effect from the start of October.
However, the law that makes vaccination by a pharmacist possible still had to be approved by parliament. On Wednesday, Vlaams Belang opposed the new law in the Public Health Committee, arguing that it would lead to discrimination against doctors.
The party requested a "second reading" of the bill. This means that the law can only be officially approved next Thursday 5 October at the earliest. In practice, Vandenbroucke's plans are being postponed: people will not be able to go to the pharmacy for a flu vaccine from Monday.
During the committee meeting, Vandenbroucke did not hide his frustration: "Are you not ashamed Vlaams Belang? Are you not ashamed? You have no idea about public health because you do not care about it. What you care about is slowing things down here."
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Doctors, however, also previously opposed the bill, calling it "a bridge too far." They argue that pharmacists do not have the required specific training and expertise to administer vaccinations safely and effectively.
But Vandenbroucke argued that the threshold to go to the pharmacist is low, especially for people who have little or no contact with a GP. "Pharmacists and GPs can therefore complement each other to increase the vaccination rate against the flu next winter," he said.
It remains possible to get a Covid-19 booster vaccine from the pharmacist.
