Flemish Health Minister says that 18,000 staff in Flemish hospitals will be vaccinated during the next 2 weeks
The Flemish Health and Welfare Minister Wouter Beke (Christian democrat) has told VRT News that 18,000 staff that work in hospitals in Flanders will receive their first dose of coronavirus vaccine during the next two weeks. Mr Beke was speaking on VRT Radio 1’s morning news and current affairs programme ‘De ochtend’.
"We have already vaccinated 5,000 hospital staff and in the coming weeks we will be able to vaccinate a further 18,000 staff not only in the 13 Pfizer vaccine hub hospitals, but also in the 45 other hospitals. Those that work on intensive care wards and on A&E will be vaccinated”, Mr Beke said.
If Mr Beke is true to his word, around a quarter of hospital staff that work on Flemish intensive care ward and A&E will have received their first shot of coronavirus vaccine by 5 February.
The Pfizer vaccine hub hospitals have already started vaccinating their staff today. The other hospitals will be able to commence vaccination as soon as supplies of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine are delivered to them. They will receive between 100 and 400 doses of the Moderna vaccine. The vaccination of hospital staff has suffered delays as a result of supplies of the Pfizer vaccine being less than had been originally promised.