After 1 March, the Covid Safe Ticket (CST) of teenagers between 12 and 17 years old will continue to turn green, even if they have not (yet) received a booster dose, said Federal Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke on Thursday.
From next month, adults in Belgium will need a booster shot to ensure their vaccination certificate remains valid if their first two shots are more than five months old.
"But for young people, we are not going to require a booster for their CST, as there is no permission from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for that yet. We are going to try to organise that," Vandenbroucke said in the Parliament.
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In the meantime, Flanders started offering boosters to teenagers on its own initiative on Wednesday, and without invitation, while the Brussels-Capital Region and Wallonia are still waiting for the recommendation of the EMA and the Superior Health Council.
However, Vandenbroucke said that this is just a Belgian regulation, which does not necessarily apply abroad. Many other European countries also require minors to have proof of a recent booster shot to enter bars or restaurants for example.
For example, in Austria, which is a popular winter holiday destination for many teens during the Carnival break at the end of February, minors' basic vaccination is only valid for seven months, after which a booster shot is also needed.
