Belgium will destroy unnecessary covid vaccines, masks, protective clothing and expired tests for a total of 207 million euros, the health ministry said, as quoted by local media, as quoted by BTA.
The Ministry notes that with this measure, space will be cleared for restocking and storage costs for excess funds will be saved. It is added that during the past pandemic, Belgium overstocked with medicines, mainly provided through the contracts prepared by the European Commission with vaccine manufacturers. Belgium used the opportunity to donate part of the surplus vaccines, but there is no more demand.
At the start of the pandemic four years ago, political scandal erupted in Belgium after it was found that the country did not have sufficient stocks of face masks, and later masks were ordered that did not meet the requirements and were also destroyed. The Ministry clarifies that the amounts of vaccines and other materials provided after that were based on the "worst case scenario" for the development of the pandemic and despite the high proportion of vaccinated people in the country, some of the doses have become unnecessary.