The vaccination figures in the Brussels-Capital Region may be higher than they seem because many inhabitants have dual nationality, according to Inge Neven of the Brussels health inspectorate.
The people who live and/or work in Brussels, and are therefore counted among its population, may have already been vaccinated abroad, she told the Belga news agency.
"Some of those people likely have been vaccinated abroad, and can have that vaccination recognised if it is a vaccine approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA)," said Neven.
Additionally, people who were vaccinated with a vaccine that is not yet approved can also be reported, because some vaccines may still be given the green light later.
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"It could be that 4% or 5% of that group of residents have already been vaccinated without us knowing, although I am not putting money on that figure," Neven added.
In terms of general vaccination coverage in Belgium, Brussels is clearly lagging behind the rest of the country, with 61% to 62% of the adult population having received their first jab.
In Wallonia, that figure rises to about 80%, while over 90% of the adult population in Flanders have received at least one vaccination dose.
In total, nearly 85% of the entire Belgian population have received their first shot, which corresponds to more than eight million people. Nearly 75% of the country has been fully vaccinated so far, according to the latest figures by the Sciensano national health institute.
