Olivier Hoslet/EFE via EPAClick play to hear this article from Amazon PollyToday, Belgians are focused only on one goal: Euro 2020.In the meantime, however, the nation of 11 million is winning at getting as many arms as possible.On Saturday, 35% of Belgians aged 18 and over had received at least one shot. Only 42% were fully vaccinated. According to POLITICO's chart on vaccination progress, the country is ahead of all EU countries, except Malta.This contrasts with Belgium’s difficult experience in controlling the virus during the first wave of the pandemic, and the second. The vaccination campaign had a slow start due to delays in vaccine delivery, just as in other EU countries.Belgium changed all that in spring with a world-beating rollout, particularly in Flanders, a northern Dutch-speaking area. Experts had predicted that the long-term would be much better, so it was not surprising.Steven Van Gucht was a virologist who is the spokesperson for COVID-19 in Belgium. He said that it was the Flemish confidence in getting a jab, which was what was making the difference in a follow up interview with POLITICO.On Saturday, 79% of Flanders' adults had received at least one dose. Citizens over 65 receive an average of 95 percent, while some cities can reach 100 percent.The debate about vaccine delivery is shifting to vaccine willingness, just as in other Western countries. Karolien Poels from the University of Antwerp said that Flanders has a history of openly discussing vaccines. She monitors vaccination readiness and advises the Belgian government about their communication.Poels stated that the government did not push for initial vaccine hesitancy and left it up to the citizens. Respecting people's doubts and giving them the option to choose can help citizens who are initially hesitant get over it.Belgia's success can also be attributed to its straightforward approach to vaccination, said Wouter Beke (health minister for the Flemish Region).He said, "Instead of an invitation open to all, citizens are given a time and date." We set up a variety of new vaccination centres so that everyone could receive a jab within 10 km. We also got pharmacists, doctors, and civil society involved to help those with initial doubts.This was possible because logistics were key, said Beke. He also serves as mayor in Leopoldsburg. Leopoldsburg is a small town that once housed a garrison but now houses a military base.Beke stated that logistics has been a winning strategy in wars. "This vaccination campaign was one of the most complex logistical operations since the Second World War. We made sure that we were ready to go when we went into battle.Too many cooks in your kitchen?Implementing a policy that had nine ministers responsible for health was a challenge in Belgium. The pandemic was actually caused by the split of health expertises among the various Belgian governments.However, there was a spirit of collaboration during the vaccination campaign. Beke stated that the five ministers responsible for vaccination shared their best practices and learned from one another. He said that other countries face similar challenges and could learn more from Belgium's experience, given the fact that they are all struggling.He said, "We exchange our experiences in Belgium every day, from delivery invitations to call centres to calls centers to deliveries." That encourages us to reach a higher level of performance."He said that there are many differences between Europe and the U.S. due to social factors, but also how you approach the vaccination campaign. What works and what doesn't?He believes that the EU could have done more to address the divergent regulations regarding the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab. This is due to the European Medicines Agency's inability to provide clearer advice. He said that half of EU countries continued to use it after it was approved in March. Another quarter, however, stopped using it and a third applied restrictions.He said that it was not ideal because of the lack of unity within the EU. He explained that the bloc could have done better in two important aspects. The first is to exchange more best practices and make sure everyone is on the right page.Brussels' outreachHowever, the Belgian model is not perfect. It is still difficult for some communities to convince citizens to accept the jab.Wallonia, a French-speaking region in the southern part of France, is one of them. Wallonia's public opinion is historically more skeptical about vaccines than Wallonia. As of Saturday, 72 percent of Wallonia's adults have had at least one shot, which is well below Flanders.This problem is more severe in Brussels, where 54 percent of the adult population has been vaccinated with at least one shot.Inge Neven, COVID-19 crisis manager for Brussels, stated that the international character of the city is a major challenge. It houses the EU institutions, NATO, and 182 nationalities.She said that "some don't have the digital skills or a doctor, and some are in difficult socio-economic situations." "More that one in ten people don't get their invitations or don’t understand them," she said. This makes the vaccination campaign even more difficult.Brussels responded by establishing outreach programs and deploying mobile teams to reach homeless people and migrants. If they can convince someone to get their jab, there are teams available at weekly markets or municipal halls.To spread the message, the city also reached out to local leaders. Neven stated that certain cultures, such as those of Africa, have concerns about the effects of the vaccine on fertility. He also spoke out for the Roma community.Brussels' goal is to get 70% of adults vaccinated by mid-July. Neven calls this "ambitious," especially when compared to major cities.Neven noted that "they often don't hit more than 60%".This is not the only reason to be concerned. Public health officials believe it's too early to rule out another COVID-19 resurgence in Belgium despite the greater success of the campaign. Because of its large and diverse population, the country is still vulnerable. People working in EU institutions, for example, are more likely to travel to other countries during the summer, then back to Brussels. This increases the risk of developing new variants.The rise of the Delta variant is a concern for virologists, who warn that the possibility of new infections could arise. This highly infectious strain has already made its way across Europe. On Saturday, Belgium banned travelers from the U.K.Beke acknowledged that "We weren't out of the woods yet." "But there is only one way to counter that threat: Get as many people vaccinated as possible."Jillian Deutsch contributed reporting.POLITICO
