The production of Covid-19 vaccines, mainly by the Pfizer plant located in Puurs-Sint-Amands in the province of Antwerp, will have boosted Belgian GDP by 0.25% in 2021, or about €1 billion, according to an estimate by the National Bank that L'Echo reported Friday.
According to Statbel figures, the volume of production in the pharmaceutical industry rose by 108% in the first ten months of this year, compared to the same period in 2020. The value of pharmaceutical production increased by 101% in the first nine months to €29.4 billion.
The production of the vaccine in Puurs-Sint-Amands has also created several hundred additional jobs. Around 3,800 people are currently working at the site, compared to 3,000 a year ago, at the end of 2020.
Every month, the plant delivers 100 million doses. In the first nine months of 2021, Belgium exported €16.6 billion worth of Covid-19 vaccines.
Pfizer vaccines account for more than three quarters of that amount.
The rest is made up of vaccines from Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, which are primarily imported.
