At-risk groups show little interest in Covid booster jab

Despite a public awareness campaign targeting over-65s, pregnant women, people with underlying conditions and healthcare staff, just one in seven people in this target group in Brussels have so far opted to get a Covid booster shot for this winter.

Figures for the rest of the country were not much better - a month and a half after the launch of the autumn campaign, virologist Steven Van Gucht said “willingness appears low” and “relatively few” people chose to get the shot.

The booster jab against coronavirus is highly recommended for that target group, but data from health institute Sciensano and the Flemish Department of Care show that, nationwide, only a third of the 3.5 million eligible Belgians took it.

The figures were especially low for people over the age of 65, “and they are just the most important target group,” Van Gucht told Het Laatste Nieuws, adding that “the differences between Brussels, Wallonia and Flanders are striking”.

The majority of people who opted for the booster live in Flanders.

In the Brussels region, only 37,100 people received a booster shot, including just 14.7% of over-65s, whereas in Flanders, half of the over-65s have been revaccinated, a figure similar to those opting for a flu vaccine (60%).