The Belgian government wants to impose vaccination on caregivers from January 1. About 10% of them are not vaccinated in the country, according to a recent study.
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Several thousand people demonstrated on Tuesday, December 7 in Brussels against a project by the Belgian government which intends to impose vaccination against Covid-19 on healthcare staff at the beginning of next year. The procession gathered 3,800 people according to the police, 5,000 according to the Confederation of Christian Trade Unions, a member of the common trade union front which had called for this day of action.
A small minority of around 10% of caregivers are not vaccinated in Belgium, according to a recent study. The protesters mainly protested against the risk of further thinning out the care units if unvaccinated caregivers can no longer work. “We are already short of staff. If we stop unvaccinated caregivers, patients will not be treated”, explained a nurse present in the procession. “There are services where we announce 14 burnouts for about sixty agents. That makes one in five agents sick, this is not normal”, another protester pointed out.
As part of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, the government led by the Flemish liberal Alexander De Croo intends to make vaccination compulsory for caregivers from January 1. Those who refuse it would be suspended from practice as of that date, while still having time to think about it to keep their contract.