From today (Monday 7 March), teenagers aged between 12 and 17 can go to a vaccination centre in the Brussels-Capital Region to get a booster dose, the Brussels Health Inspectorate announced.
On Friday, the Interministerial Conference (IMC) on Health gave the green light for a booster dose for all 12 to 17-year-olds, after the European Medicines Agency approved the shot at the end of February.
Those aged 12 and over get can the booster shot from today if enough time has passed since their last vaccine dose, Inge Neven of the Brussels Health Inspectorate confirmed to The Brussels Times.
Related News
- Belgium close to approving booster doses for all teenagers
- EMA recommends Pfizer booster vaccination for teenagers
- 12- to 17-year-olds in Flanders can get booster dose from today
Teenagers who initially received the single-doses Johson & Johnson have to wait at least two months before they can get a booster. Those who received a Moderna, Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine have to wait at least four months after their second dose.
Like in Flanders, teenagers living in Brussels will also not receive an invitation letter, Neven said. "But those who want a booster are welcome. This is in line with the decision of the IMC."
Limited impact
The Superior Health Council, which issued advice on administering booster doses to teenagers last Friday, stated that while boosters can be given to those who want them, the direct health benefits for teenagers are "limited."
The Council also found no "significant" evidence in the current context with regard to indirect health benefits for society, and only recommended administering a booster "when appropriate."
However, in view of the current downward trend in the Covid figures, the less severe clinical picture in teenagers and the known risks of side effects (especially the very rare side effect of inflammation of the heart muscle), the Council is not in favour of systematically administering boosters to teenagers "at this moment."
In early February, Flemish Health Minister Wouter Beke decided not to wait for a country-wide agreement and announced that teenagers in Flanders could get a booster, if they signed an 'informed consent' form. Later that month, it was made clear that teenagers living in Brussels and Wallonia were also welcome to go get their booster in Flanders, if they wished.
