Brussels Region launches new awareness and vaccination campaign: «The pandemic is not over»
In the autumn and winter period, corona is expected again among the population. With the new awareness campaign «Keep the right R’Flex», the Brussels Region is committed to six basic rules: protect vulnerable people as much as possible, protection against a serious course of disease, ventilate indoor spaces, keep your distance or wear a mask otherwise, organize group activities outside and isolate yourself and get tested when you have symptoms.
not required
The second booster shot is not mandatory, but it is for vulnerable population groups and persons with vulnerable population groups. From the beginning of September, all over-50s will be invited by letter and healthcare staff, residents of residential care centers and hospitals will also be greatly improved to have the second booster shot. The people who receive an invitation can be vaccinated from 12 September by appointment. From October 1, all over 18s who want it can have a second booster vaccine without an appointment.
Four centers
The new booster campaign will be held in four vaccination centers: Pacheco, Molenbeek, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre and Vorst. The latter two vaccination centers reopen especially for the second booster. In addition, the campaign continues to run locally with vaccinations by mobile teams and above all an extensive network of pharmacists who also administer vaccines.
“The local presence works, because half of the vaccines were accepted from the pharmacists in the last three months,” says Neven.
15 percent of the over-80s and 5.4 percent of the over-65s in Brussels have already received a second booster shot. In Brussels there are still people who get their first shot, about 500 since the beginning of July.
R-value provisionally below 1
The coronavirus is not present in Brussels, but to a lesser extent for the time being. The R value is 0.86 the virus does not spread. The incidence rate is 178 infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the past two weeks. About 7,000 tests were taken last week, with a positivity rate of 16.9 percent. In the past two weeks, there were 14 new hospitalizations in Brussels hospitals. There are 11 COVID-19 patients in intensive care and 10 deaths in the past week.
“The pandemic is not over. Covid is here and will stay with us for a very long time. We are therefore now starting preparations for the winter, because we expect a new increase, just like with the flu,” concludes Minister Maron.