Nurses to give vaccinations without supervision of doctors

Nurses are allowed to administer vaccinations without the supervision of a doctor from 9 April, health minister Maggie De Block has announced. The royal decree was published yesterday. De Block said that she hopes that the change in the legislation “will have a positive influence on the number of vaccinations among the population”.

The vaccinations must still be prescribed by a doctor, but vaccinations will be able to be better organised within government services like family agency Kind en Gezin, where until now only doctors were allowed to vaccinate babies and children. In the run up to the annual flu season, home nurses will be allowed to administer vaccinations, as long as they have access to a doctor in the case of complications.

Kind en Gezin said that their nurses are already providing vaccinations to children between three and 12 months of age. “They do that in the presence of a doctor, and this will remain our policy for the moment,” said a spokesperson.

Kind en Gezin is, however, pleased with the new decree. “It offers more opportunities for nurses to be allowed to vaccinate,” said the spokesperson.

Photo: Ingimage