We were offered 500 euros for a dose.

Security and law enforcement officers are present at every vaccination center. Everything is being done to secure the storage of vaccines, in terms of shelf life and safety. Vaccines are stored centrally, under tight security, in 41 hospital centers and vaccination centers across the country.

Corruption attempts

At Charleroi, an important device is dedicated above all to protecting pharmacists who bring vaccines out of sight. Laurent Stacke, one of the expert pharmacists at the Vaccination Center in Charleroi, tells us about his almost daily reality of trying to corrupt: As soon as we get out of the parking lot, we are met with a lot of people who give us a lot of things, including money for vaccinations as a priority. Just yesterday, as soon as we got out for a little break, did we have financial proposals. Yesterday it was still 500 euros a dose. “

Safety device

Of course, the pharmacists refuse, but the situation can quickly get out of control. This is why two to three police officers are permanently on site. David Keno, Charleroi Police District spokesman, describes the system that has been put in place to ensure site security: These are four shifts of different teams that will alternately overlap to avoid a decrease in observation but in particular not a decrease in attention that we perceive after hours of observation at a fixed point. Moreover, the police officers present at the entrance can walk around the site to make sure everything is going well. “.

Alongside the police, about 150 soldiers have been deployed to the vaccination centers. Note that their job is not related to security. They are there to help organize vaccination.

But without a doubt, their presence remains a deterrent, explains Bruno Spulcher, director of logistics for the vaccination center in Charleroi: It is clear that having a uniform lightens the morals. Obviously, it helps. It’s a bit symbolic but the image is very powerful “.

Avoid theft and fight counterfeiting

This device is also used to prevent attempts to steal the vaccine. They are also stored in locked refrigerators, in places that are clearly kept secret.

Another risk is counterfeiting. This is why pharmacists have so many instructions to follow once a dose is used.

Guillaume Regner, expert pharmacist at the vaccination center, sheds light on one aspect of the procedure to be followed: I scratch batch numbers and expiration dates from vials to avoid reuse by dishonest people “.

Lara Cutlar, a spokeswoman for The Walloon Agency for High Quality Life (AVIQ), confirms that the danger is very real: “We are not. Safe from someone with malicious intent can save flasks. We don’t know what could happen. So it is really the ultimate in security. “

Note that during the A / H1N1 influenza vaccination campaign, only a few cases of theft were identified. More coveted Covid vaccines than ever before are being put under close scrutiny. Moreover, every vaccination center is monitored day and night, and alarms are placed in refrigerators.