Virologist Marc Van Ranst (KU Leuven) calls for a new vaccination strategy to be considered, in which priority is given to giving everyone a first dose of the vaccine. He writes this on the microblogging site Twitter and the virologist repeats that message to the editors.
For now, Belgium is still choosing to keep vaccine doses aside, so that there will definitely be enough vaccinations to vaccinate those who received the first injection a second time three weeks later. However, there are calls to delay the second injection a little longer – say six weeks – so that more people can be vaccinated for the first time more quickly.
Mark Van Ranst won such an amendment. He wrote on Twitter: “With the recent data from Scotland and Israel, the Supreme Health Council and the vaccination team may be able to reconsider the vaccination strategy as we begin to give a first dose to everyone.”
He repeats these words in response to VRT NWS. “Study results from Scotland and Israel show that after the first dose, there is indeed very good and serious protection. Then you may have to wait a little longer before giving the second dose. And this is something the Medicines Agency and the Supreme Health Council are concerned about. You can bend. Everything with intent. Protect as many people as possible faster, “Van Ranst says.
The virologist also sees in this data the possibilities for giving AstraZeneca vaccines to people over the age of 65. In Belgium, this vaccine is currently only used for people up to the age of 55.
