From Monday 3 May, the Military Hospital vaccination centre will open its doors for the coronavirus vaccination of Brussels residents, allowing for an increase in the vaccination capacity in the Capital Region.
The centre in the Queen Astrid Military Hospital in Neder-over-Heembeek, in the north of the city, is the tenth one in the Brussels-Capital Region to open to the general public.
The opening, which was initially planned a month ago, was delayed because of various difficulties related to vaccine deliveries in March.
The centre aims to vaccinate up to 1,600 people a day, and will be open from Monday to Friday, from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM, and is accessible by car (R0, exit 6) and by bus (STIB lines 47, 53, 56 and 57).
"It is in the DNA of Defence to be at the service of the population in case of a crisis and I have strengthened this attitude as much as possible, taking into account the resources of the Department and the available personnel," said Belgian Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder in a press release.
"In the first place, the Military Hospital served as a support for the overburdened emergency services, then as a logistics hub for the Brussels Region," she added. "Now, the Military Hospital fulfils its role in the vaccination campaign for the population of Brussels."
The hospital is also preparing to take charge of the preparation and packaging of vaccine doses intended for prison guards and their inmates.
On top of that, it is also preparing to become the place where Belgian expats who cannot get the vaccine where they live now will be vaccinated, according to the Common Community Commission (COCOM).
Credit: Common Community Commission (COCOM)
According to Brussels Health Minister Alain Maron, the opening of the tenth vaccination centre in the Region is "further proof that the campaign is accelerating."
Additionally, the Brussels vaccination centres will also examine the possibility of extending their opening hours and opening their doors 12 hours a day, seven days a week, according to the availability of the vaccines, by the end of May.
