FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• The start of the vaccinations depends on the supply of vaccines. According to the current planning, vaccinations for those over 65 will start in the week commencing 22nd or 29th March.
• The government will invite you when it is your turn, and then you can make an appointment.

• Not everybody will get the vaccine at the same time.
• Some groups will get the vaccine before others on the basis of scientific advice: inhabitants of care homes, care workers, the elderly and people suffering from chronic diseases. After that, the wider population will get their turn.

• No, that is not possible. All COVID-19 vaccines in Belgium are safe and effective.
• The government has decided that you cannot change the vaccine once it has been allocated to you.

• There are currently no data available about the effect of the vaccination on children. Studies are currently being carried out among younger age groups. In the second half of 2021, there will be sufficient data to clear the vaccination of children.
• Some vaccine studies enrolled children over 16. Therefore, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is currently cleared for people 16 and older.

• There is a list of health conditions following the advice of the Belgian Health Council regarding the setting priorities for vaccination of subgroups of patients younger than 65.
• This advice is based on Belgian and international studies that examined which people with underlying health conditions have a greater risk of being admitted to hospital or death if they were to get infected with COVID-19. Some health conditions have to present at a particular stage.
• From 8th April onwards, you can go to www.myhealthviewer.be and check for yourself if you are on the list of people who need to be vaccinated as a priority due to a medical condition.

• The government will invite you as soon as it’s your turn. Please see below for concrete details. Please see below for concrete details.
  You can read more information about the government’s vaccination plan here.
• Please note: you cannot get vaccinated at the vaccination village without an invite from the government.

• The vaccination campaign for people over 65 will probably start in the week commencing 22nd or 29th March. The government will send you a letter and email or text message with further explanations. You can expect to receive that information two weeks before your vaccination.
• You will only receive that email or text message if your health insurance fund has those details for you.

• You can make an appointment for your vaccination here using the link in your invite. Without an appointment, you will not get a vaccination.
• The e-ticket contained in the email you receive after booking your appointment is your entrance ticket to the vaccination village. You can print it or bring it on your smartphone.

• The code in the invite is valid for 30 days. You have to book your appointment before the date mentioned.
• If your code has expired, you will receive a new invite in a couple of months’ time. That will allow you to make a new appointment.

• The local corona information helpline can help you, you can ring them on 03 435 95 55.

• This depends on your vaccine and the policy set by the taskforce. This will be calculated automatically when booking your appointment.

• You will not need to do this: the appointment for your second jab will be set when you make the appointment for your first vaccination.
• You use the code in the invite to book your first appointment. The system will immediately reserve the date for the second dose of your vaccine.
• The e-ticket you receive after booking is valid for both appointments. Keep track of this.

• If you are booking online, you each choose the time of your appointment separately.
• It will depend on how busy the village is and how many available places they have whether you and your partner can have the vaccination at the same time.

• If you passed on your email address when you were on the telephone, you will receive an e-ticket by email. This e-ticket is proof of your appointment. You can print it or save it on your smartphone.
• Present your e-ticket together with your ID card when you get to the vaccination village.

• If you were able to book your appointments (online or via the call centre), you can go to the vaccination village on that day/those days.
• You can ask the helpdesk for a print-out of your e-ticket. You will need your ID card for this.

• Do not worry: the vaccination appointments are flying off the shelves. As the demand for appointments is greater than the supply, everything gets booked up very quickly.
• Your code for making an appointment will remain valid for 30 days. As soon as new vaccines arrive, you can try making an appointment again.
• We will inform you on a daily basis whether new vaccines are available.
• These physical corona helpdesks can help you make your appointment. Make sure to bring this invite and you ID card.

• Vaccinations are free for everybody. So, do not transfer any money for them, and do not share your bank details.
• People with bad intentions are sending out fake invites. Please see below some tips for recognising fake invites.
  • You will always receive a personal invite in the post. Be careful when you only receive a text message or email.
  • Only the regional authorities (Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels) send out invites. So, invites from vaccine producers, for instance, are fake.
  • The invite will be addressed to your name.
  • Emails will always be sent from address noreply@doclr.be.
    Reminders from noreply@vaccovid.be
  • More information: https://www.laatjevaccineren.be/wie-waar-en-wanneer/you-invite
• There are more tips for recognising fake invites on https://safeonweb.be/.
• Have you received a fake or suspect message? Please forward it to verdacht@safeonweb.be.

Get in touch with an allergist who will make an appointment with the vaccination centre.

• If you have already made an appointment and you change your mind, we would ask that you cancel that appointment. That will allow us to allocate the freed-up appointment at the vaccination village to somebody else.
• The email confirming your appointment contains a link you can use if you want to cancel your appointment. You can also indicate that you do not wish to be vaccinated.

• You can move your first appointment but you will first have to cancel your existing appointment. The email confirming your appointment contains a link you can use to cancel your appointment.
• Subsequently, you will receive an email with a code for a new appointment. You can use that code for making a new appointment.
• Please note: when you cancel your first vaccination date, the date of your second vaccination will automatically expire.

• It is important that you wait the exact number of weeks after your first dose before getting your second vaccination.
• Once you have been given your first dose, you cannot amend the date of the second vaccination anymore.

• If you are unable to attend your appointment, you have to cancel it. The email confirming your appointment contains a link you can use to cancel your appointment.
• Then you can make a new appointment.
• Are you struggling with the cancellation? Then you can ring the local call centre. You can find the number in the invite.

• If you are ill, you should not get vaccinated
• Cancel your appointment and make a new one. The email confirming your appointment contains a link you can use to cancel or amend your appointment.

• A reservation is strictly personal. You are not allowed to use somebody else’s appointment.

• You are not allowed to pass on an appointment.

• Vaccinating hundreds of thousands of people is a very complex logistical operation. That is why the City of Antwerp has decided to centralise its efforts in one location. That way we can guarantee that the vaccines are stored in proper conditions, well-secured and that the population can be vaccinated smoothly.

• You can only get the vaccination at the location in your invite. That is where the vaccine has been reserved for you.

• Ring the information hotline (03 435 95 55). We will examine together if there are any adapted transport solutions to help you get to Spoor Oost.

• If you are less mobile and you do not have anybody who can help you get to the vaccination village, you can go to one of the 36 temporary vaccination sites.
• You can make an appointment by ringing the information hotline (03 435 95 55), or through your GP after you have received your invite.
• First, we will examine together if there are any special transport solutions for getting you to Spoor Oost. In that case, you will not have to wait until you can get vaccinated in your area.
• If you can really not leave your home for medical reasons, you can be vaccinated at home at a later stage

• Do go to the vaccination centre. The helpdesk can check if you can still be vaccinated that day. If it is not possible, you will have to make a new appointment.