While Belgium’s first vaccinations generally went well, the vaccine rollout can be improved in several ways, the government’s corona committee said on Tuesday.
The vaccines were delivered on time, could be administered “fairly quickly” without wasting any doses, and those who were vaccinated did not experience any noticeable side effects, but several hitches remain.
The committee reported a number of technical problems with the server concerning transport, and with the application of Medista, the company responsible for the transfer of doses. These problems should be resolved next week, however, according to Dirk Ramaekers, the head of the vaccination strategy task force.
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A second point with room for improvement involved the way the vaccine is handled, as it is easy to administer, “but much less easy to thaw it properly and to divide a vial, which contains five doses, into individual doses,” Ramaekers said. As a result, people diluting the product need to be supervised, the committee decided.
Finally, there should be more contact points to enable nursing homes and residential care centres to order vaccines.
Belgium’s official vaccine rollout will start on 5 January.
Jason Spinks
The Brussels Times
