Belgium, the home of Tomorrowland, is currently exploring a single-dose vaccination strategy that can allow more people to get the COVID-19 vaccine faster than originally planned. This would mean more people get the initial dose faster, instead of focusing energies on giving half the people both doses in quicker succession.
The idea for the new strategy was brought upon by epidemiologist Pierre Van Damme. He said this plan would allow “to reach more people more quickly and achieve group immunity more quickly.”
This plan comes just after news broke that people over 65 would receive the vaccine as late as May.
If the single-dose vaccination strategy becomes a success, more people in the Belgium population will be able to receive the first vaccination before the summer, according to Van Damme.
Several experts have backed the plan, including microbiologist Herman Goossens and virologist Johan Neyts.
Neyts agrees that a single dose can still be effective in combating the virus. Speaking with Dutch-speaking Radio 1, he said, “The second dose serves to maximize that protection and activate our body’s memory for maximum effect. But with that activation of the memory, you can wait six months.”
The initial round of vaccinations begun this week in three nursing homes. However, the official start of vaccinations begins on January 5.
If this plan goes into effect, there is a possibility that Tomorrowland fans will see the return of the world-renowned festival. This news may just be the light at the end of the tunnel for the European country.
Source: The Brussels Times
