About 90% of 500 people vaccinated in our centre are from Belgium, says Lille city council

Around 500 vaccinations against the monkeypox virus were administered in Lille, just around the French border, last weekend- from which the majority went to Belgium people who were crossing the border to get the shot.

After understanding the time slots in other cities were insufficient, and people have to wait for long hours, the French city of Lille made preventive vaccinations against monkeypox available both with or without an appointment at Lille Information, Screening and Diagnosis Center (CeGIDD) on Saturday.

As per the statement released by the Lille city council, “About 90% of around 500 people vaccinated in our centre on Saturday came from Belgium.”

In Belgium, only around 3,000 vaccines against the virus are in storage and new deliveries are not expected until the autumn. As a result of the limited supply, the country is only administering monkeypox vaccinations to high-risk contacts and people with specific profiles.

Yet, as initial data shows that the virus is currently being predominantly spread between men who have sex with men, many people in the LGBTQ+ community are becoming increasingly concerned and are urgently seeking protection.

According to the latest figures by the Scienano National Health Institute, 482 cases were recorded as of 3 August, 172 of them in Brussels.