Encouraging numbers: 1 million Belgians have already received a booster vaccine and outbreaks in residential care are declining | Corona virus what you need to know

Finally, the booster vaccine campaign is getting stronger. Since this weekend, an important symbolic head has been rounded: the head of our country’s supportive millionth shot. Just before the end of the week, the counter was still at 996,000 boosters, but in recent days 45,000 doses have been added in Flanders alone. The Health and Welfare Agency confirms this to our editors. This means that the millionth mark is rounded up anyway. How many booster vaccinations Wallonia and Brussels delivered over the past weekend will only be known today.

Initially, the third vaccine is for people over 65 years of age. In this high-risk group, approximately forty percent were gradually given a booster dose. This percentage is supposed to double in the coming weeks. It must ensure that the pressure on hospitals is reduced. Because there the numbers will continue to rise for the time being. There are already more than 600 Covid patients in intensive care and an average of 270 new patients are admitted to the Covid department every day. Therefore, an acceleration of the vaccination campaign does not come a moment premature. This week, the third injection of health care workers will also be launched in Flanders, which should prevent corona sick absences in this sector from increasing further.

In residential care centers, the boosters seem to be already having an effect, because since a third injection has been given to all residents there, the number of corona outbreaks has decreased. A month ago, 40 new outbreaks were reported in one week and 37 in the following week. In the past two weeks, that has decreased to 18 and 17 new outbreaks, respectively. “Thanks to the booster vaccines,” says Johan Stace, managing director of the comprehensive organization of private residential care centers. “It’s still early days to celebrate, but it’s a huge boost nonetheless.” Stace hopes that a staff vaccination campaign – which will begin this week – can spur a fourth wave in residential care centers.

‘Boost shots really do have an effect’: The number of new outbreaks in Flemish residential care centers is falling. (+)

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