The federal parliament has taken a new step in setting up the debate on compulsory vaccination for all Belgian adults. Each parliamentary group first provided a list of experts from civil society who should be heard by the deputies.
In total, more than 70 suggestions were sent by each political group (N-VA, Ecolo-Groen, PS, Vlaams Belang, MR, CD&V, Open Vld, PTB-PVDA, Vooruit, cdH, DéFI) concerning the hearings on the compulsory vaccination and health pass. Among the suggestions were psychologists, epidemiologists, pharmacists, virologists, professors, human rights specialists, philosophers.
This Tuesday, in the Health Committee, the parties agreed to retain 17 names (among which we also find institutional entities). A final agreement will be reached on Wednesday and should add one or the other missing discipline name. Here are the names selected:
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Heidi Larson (Vaccine Confidence Project Professor of Anthropology, Risk and Decision Science; Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology)
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Marius Gilbert (Vice-Rector of the ULB, Unit Director, Space Epidemiology Laboratory (SpELL), FNRS Senior Research Fellow, former member of the GEES)
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Dr Wouter Arrazola De Onate (medical director VRGT- Flemish Tuberculosis Association; doctor and public health specialist)
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Pedro Facon (Corona Commissioner)
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Virginie Pirard (ULB – ethics researcher, at the ULB Center for Philosophy of Law)
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Superior Health Council
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The Federal Institute for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights
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Maarten Vansteenkiste (Psychology and Corona expert group)
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Emmanuel André (medical microbiologist and Belgian researcher at KULeuven)
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Vincent Yzerbyt (UCL – psychologist, Belgian motivation barometer)
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Vanessa De Greef (vice-president of the Human Rights League, professor ULB)
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Unia (Interfederal body for the promotion of equality)
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The CSC union (Marie-Hélène Ska or Marc Leemans)
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Leila Belkhir (infectiologist at Saint-Luc)
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Dirk de Wachter (psychiatrist and professor)
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VOKA Health Community
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Johan Neyts (KULeuven, virologue)
The statements of these experts will be added to the reports sent by the bioethics committee and the Corona Commissariat. These legal, ethical and scientific insights should allow political representatives to determine what are the best solutions to achieve an increase in vaccination coverage in Belgium. What might be the social consequences of opting for a vaccination pass or compulsory vaccination? How would these obligations be implemented? Elements of answers should be produced in the coming weeks.