COVID vaccine 2026-2027 in Belgium: who, when, cost
11 October 2026 · 14 min read
emmunity editorial teamHow we verify our information →
In autumn 2026, COVID-19 vaccination remains recommended first for people aged 65 and over, residents of care institutions and nursing homes, adults with a comorbidity or immunosuppression, people working in the care sector and people living with a severely immunocompromised person. For someone affiliated to a Belgian mutuality (health insurance fund), the vaccine and the injection at the pharmacy cost 0 €.
One thing to know from the start: as of 10 October 2026, the Superior Health Council has published no COVID-19 advice for season 2026-2027. The regions therefore apply the groups of advice 9880, written for 2025-2026. Here is what the official sources say, region by region.
- As of 10 October 2026 there is no Superior Health Council advice on COVID-19 for 2026-2027: the target groups come from advice 9880 (2025-2026), carried over by the regions.
- The campaign started on 14 September 2026 in Brussels and was planned from 29 September in Flanders; Wallonia publishes no date for 2026 and the German-speaking Community could not be verified.
- For someone affiliated to a Belgian mutuality, the COVID-19 vaccine and its injection at the pharmacy cost 0 €; at the GP, a consultation may be billed, and AVIQ writes that it is in Wallonia.
- A trained pharmacist may prescribe and inject the COVID-19 vaccine and the flu vaccine on the spot, and both can be given at the same visit.
- Two minimum intervals since the last dose are in circulation, 6 months and 3 months depending on the source: the doctor or pharmacist who vaccinates you checks which one applies.
Who is recommended a COVID-19 vaccine in autumn 2026?
The Superior Health Council has published no COVID-19 advice for season 2026-2027: its list of 2026 reports contains none, and CBIP/BCFI confirms it in an article dated 10 September 2026. The latest advice available is number 9880. It was published on 14 July 2025 for season 2025-2026.
The target groups circulated this autumn by Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels are therefore those of advice 9880. Vivalis wrote on 31 July 2026 that the advice on the 2026-2027 strategy would be published soon, and AVIQ labels its COVID-19 chapter as awaiting the 2026 Health Council advice.
Advice 9880 recommends an additional dose of an adapted vaccine for three groups, unchanged from season 2024-2025. Under the Brussels memo from Vivalis, one dose a year is given, whatever your previous vaccination status; the AVIQ FAQ also speaks of a single yearly dose.
| Group in advice 9880 | Who is covered |
|---|---|
| Group 1: 65 and over | Anyone aged 65 and over, as for flu. |
| Group 1: institutions | Residents of long-term care facilities and nursing homes. |
| Group 1: comorbidity, from 18 | At least one chronic lung, liver, kidney, metabolic (including diabetes), heart or neurological condition, a severe mental health condition or a severe intellectual disability. |
| Group 1: immunosuppression, from 18 | Due to disease or treatment: transplant, immunomodulating drugs, cancer treatment now or in the last 3 years, primary immune deficiency, HIV with CD4 below 200/mm³. |
| Group 1: BMI of 40 or more | Anyone with a BMI of 40 kg/m² or more. |
| Group 1: pregnancy, under conditions | With comorbidities, or an expected high-risk pregnancy, or never infected and never vaccinated. |
| Group 1: rare diseases | Certain patients, including Down syndrome with associated comorbidities. |
| Group 1: children and adolescents | Only with specific conditions. |
| Group 2: care sector | Everyone active in the sector, inside and outside care institutions, including volunteers and trainees. |
| Group 3: same household | People living with a (very) severely immunocompromised patient. |
Outside those groups, advice 9880 provides that vaccination can be proposed case by case to adults aged 18 to 65, after consulting their physician. Between 50 and 64 it names current or former smoking, physical inactivity and excessive alcohol use as additional risk factors.
Routine vaccination of healthy children, adolescents and adults under 64 is not recommended, but a dose remains possible on an individual decision. Pregnant women outside the three conditions in the table may opt for vaccination individually, after talking to a healthcare provider. The advice also states that hypertension alone is not a confirmed risk criterion.
In Brussels, Vivalis points out that the Council’s list is a recommendation: anyone who wishes can be vaccinated. No source reviewed describes an autumn vaccine as necessary or mandatory, the word used is always "recommended". For people over 65, the Council insists on the highest possible coverage against COVID-19, flu, pneumococcal infections and RSV.
This guide describes season 2026-2027. If the Council publishes a COVID-19 advice for this season, the target groups, the intervals and the timing will have to be re-verified.
This guide describes season 2026-2027. As of 10 October 2026 the Superior Health Council has published no COVID-19 advice for this season: the target groups are those of advice 9880 (2025-2026) and will have to be re-verified if a new advice appears.
Source : Superior Health Council: advice 9880, COVID-19 vaccination strategy, season 2025-2026 ↗CBIP/BCFI: preventing respiratory infections, winter 2026-2027 (FR) ↗Departement Zorg: autumn campaign 2026-2027 (NL) ↗Vaccines during pregnancy: the Belgian guide ↗
When do COVID and flu vaccination start in 2026?
No single federal date appears in the sources: the campaigns are regional. Health Council advice 9880, written for 2025-2026, advises offering both vaccines together in October. If they are separated, it places COVID-19 in September or October and flu from mid-October, and leaves the start date to the competent authorities.
| Region | Start of COVID-19 vaccination | Announced end | Both vaccines together |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flanders | Planned from 29 September 2026; from 17 September in residential care centres. The citizen page says "early October". | Mid-December according to the citizen page; the low-activity phase resumes in the first half of December. | Mid-October to the end of November. |
| Brussels | 14 September 2026. | 31 January 2027, then an off-season period from 1 February 2027. | Ideally 14 to 31 October. |
| Wallonia | No start date published for 2026. AVIQ recommends vaccination "in September/October". | Not stated. | In October, according to the AVIQ guide. |
| German-speaking Community | Not verified: the official page could not be opened on 10 October 2026. | Not verified. | Not verified. |
No start date is published for Wallonia in 2026, and the official page of the German-speaking Community could not be opened: in both cases, check with your doctor or pharmacist.
For flu, the medicines agency AFMPS/FAGG announces a campaign start in mid-October 2026 and recommends vaccination between mid-October and mid-December. Two million flu vaccine doses were already available at the end of September.
At 75, you are among the people aged 65 and over covered by both vaccines. COVID-19 vaccination started on 14 September in Brussels and was planned from 29 September in Flanders, and flu follows in mid-October. For people aged 75 and over, the Flemish recommendation table gives flu vaccination very high priority, with a high-dose or adjuvanted vaccine.
The Council also asks the authorities to keep COVID-19 vaccines available all year round.
No start date is published for Wallonia in 2026, and the official page of the German-speaking Community could not be opened: check with your doctor or pharmacist.
Source : Departement Zorg: autumn vaccinations, flu and covid (NL) ↗Vivalis: Covid-19, professionals page (FR) ↗AVIQ: adult vaccination guide (PDF, FR) ↗AFMPS/FAGG: seasonal flu campaign 2026-2027 (FR) ↗Flu vaccine 2026-2027: who, when, how much ↗
Can you get the flu and COVID vaccines on the same day?
Yes, according to every source reviewed. Health Council flu advice 9897, which does cover season 2026-2027, considers it acceptable to give the flu vaccine at the same time as the COVID-19 vaccine and asks that co-administration be offered. COVID advice 9880 describes simultaneous vaccination as safe and effective.
The Council notes that some studies suggest a reduced immune response, which it judges probably without clinical significance. CBIP/BCFI, in its article of 10 September 2026, cites a 2026 observational study that found no more adverse events than with the flu vaccine alone.
In practice, vaccination-info.be asks for two separate injection sites and, if the two vaccines are not given on the same day, for the COVID-19 vaccine preferably first. Brussels puts it this way: flu in the left arm, COVID-19 in the right arm. The choice of doing both on the same day lies with the citizen, in discussion with the vaccinator, Vivalis specifies.
Flanders adds that the vaccines against COVID-19, flu, RSV and pneumococcus can safely be given at the same time. There is not yet a single vaccine in Belgium that protects against both flu and COVID-19: it is two injections.
vaccination-info.be asks for two separate injection sites and, if the two vaccines are not given on the same day, for the COVID-19 vaccine preferably first.
Source : Superior Health Council: advice 9897, seasonal influenza 2026-2027 ↗Departement Zorg: autumn campaign 2026-2027 (NL) ↗Flu vaccine 2026-2027: who, when, how much ↗
Which COVID vaccine is used, and how long after your last dose?
For 2026-2027 the European Medicines Agency recommends a vaccine adapted to the XFG variant, from the JN.1 family of Omicron, CBIP/BCFI reports. An mRNA vaccine targeting XFG is available in Belgium: Comirnaty XFG from Pfizer. Last season’s vaccine targeted the LP.8.1 variant.
Comirnaty XFG comes in two strengths: 10 µg per dose for children aged 6 months to 11 years, 30 µg per dose from 12 years. CBIP/BCFI specifies that it has had no clinical trials of its own: it was authorised on the basis of data from earlier Pfizer vaccines.
Still according to CBIP/BCFI, protection against infection fades quickly, while protection against severe disease lasts at least 6 months.
A second vaccine, Bimervax XFG from Hipra, has been marketed since October 2026. It is a recombinant protein vaccine, from age 12, intended for people who cannot receive an mRNA vaccine, and it is offered only in some university hospitals. In Flanders: UZ Gent, UZ Antwerpen and UZ Brussel, by appointment. UZ Brussel asks for a referral letter from a doctor; UZ Antwerpen always schedules a consultation first.
On the interval since your last dose, the official sources do not all give the same figure.
| Source | Minimum interval since the last dose |
|---|---|
| Superior Health Council, advice 9880 (season 2025-2026) | 6 months |
| AVIQ, adult vaccination guide of 26 August 2026, from age 12 | 6 months |
| vaccination-info.be, text still headed campaign 2025-2026 | 6 months |
| CBIP/BCFI, Repertoire of 8 October 2026, from the product information of the Pfizer XFG vaccine | 3 months |
| CBIP/BCFI, Repertoire, and Vivalis procedure of 30 September 2026, for the Hipra XFG vaccine | 6 months |
So two figures are in circulation, 6 months and 3 months. This guide does not pick one: the doctor or pharmacist who vaccinates you checks which interval applies to you. Give them the date of your last dose.
After an infection, advice 9880 advises vaccinating whatever the infection history, at least 14 days after recovery from symptomatic COVID-19 or after a positive PCR test. AVIQ and vaccination-info.be add an interval of at least 4 days after a high-risk contact.
A second dose in the same year is not recommended. According to the Brussels memo, people aged 85 and over and immunocompromised people who still want one must respect 6 months. Advice 9880 calls it an off-label, non-systematic option decided with the physician.
Two figures are in circulation, 6 months and 3 months: the doctor or pharmacist who vaccinates you checks which interval applies to you.
Source : CBIP/BCFI: Repertoire, chapter 12 (immunity, PDF, FR) ↗CBIP/BCFI: preventing respiratory infections, winter 2026-2027 (FR) ↗Departement Zorg: autumn campaign 2026-2027 (NL) ↗
Where to get vaccinated, and what may the pharmacist do?
Vaccination centres are closed, INAMI/RIZIV points out: doctors, pharmacists and nurses carry out COVID-19 and flu vaccination. Brussels and Wallonia state that vaccination at the pharmacy is possible from age 12. In Flanders, the adult vaccine, intended for people aged 12 and over, is given by pharmacists among others. No federal legal minimum age was found in the sources.
The COVID-19 vaccine remains a prescription-only medicine. The pharmacist may however write that prescription themselves, provided the vaccine is administered immediately, in the pharmacy where it is prescribed and dispensed. So you do not need a prescription from your doctor to be vaccinated at the pharmacy.
The official sources reviewed attribute only two vaccines to the pharmacist: the one against COVID-19 and the one against flu, every type for the latter. CBIP/BCFI specifies that the RSV vaccine can be neither prescribed nor administered by the pharmacist.
Under the legal text reproduced by INAMI/RIZIV in a 2022 circular, a pharmacist who administers the COVID-19 vaccine has completed a specific training of at least 8 hours, renewed every three years. For the 2026 campaign, Vivalis confirms the dedicated training, its renewal every 3 years, and the required premises and equipment.
Not every pharmacy vaccinates, and the arrangements, with or without an appointment, vary from one pharmacy to the next, pharmacie.be states in a 2025 article on flu. Below is how the visit goes, then the places region by region.
| Region | Adults and young people from 12 | Younger children |
|---|---|---|
| Flanders | GPs and other doctors, pharmacists, nurses, midwives. | Paediatric departments: UZ Leuven, UZ Gent, UZ Antwerpen, Virga Jesse Hasselt, AZ Delta Roeselare, UZ Brussel, AZ Turnhout. |
| Wallonia | GP or pharmacist, by appointment. | Paediatric departments of three hospitals: CHU Tivoli (La Louvière), Hôpital Sainte-Elisabeth (Namur), La Citadelle (Liège). |
| Brussels | GP, pharmacy, "maison médicale" or medical centre, nurse at home. | CHU Saint-Pierre. |
| German-speaking Community | Not verified. | Not verified. |
No official booking platform, national or regional, is named by the pages reviewed. Wallonia says to make an appointment with the GP or the pharmacist. Brussels says to contact your doctor to find out whether they vaccinate and whether an appointment is needed. Flanders says to ask your care provider if in doubt.
In Wallonia, vaccinating a child under 16 requires the consent of at least one parent or the legal guardian. People allergic to polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polysorbate must be vaccinated in hospital, after an allergology consultation, AVIQ and vaccination-info.be state.
The official sources reviewed attribute only two vaccines to the pharmacist: the one against COVID-19 and the one against flu.
Source : INAMI/RIZIV: fees for flu or COVID-19 vaccination (FR) ↗vaccination-info.be: who vaccinates and where (FR) ↗pharmacie.be: pharmacists can vaccinate you against flu (FR) ↗Child vaccination schedule in Belgium ↗
What do the COVID and flu vaccines cost at the pharmacy?
For someone affiliated to a Belgian mutuality, COVID-19 vaccination at the pharmacy costs 0 €: no co-payment and no supplement. The vaccine is supplied free of charge by the Communities, according to CBIP/BCFI, and INAMI/RIZIV pays the pharmacist directly for the act.
None of the official pages reviewed limits that free supply to the target groups. pharmacie.be, the site of the pharmacists’ association (APB), writes that the COVID-19 vaccine is fully reimbursed for the whole population.
The flu vaccine does have a price, but its injection at the pharmacy adds nothing to the price of the vaccine. The amounts below apply to someone affiliated to a Belgian mutuality.
| What | What you pay | Source |
|---|---|---|
| COVID-19 vaccine, the product | 0 € | CBIP/BCFI, 10 September 2026; Departement Zorg |
| COVID-19 injection at the pharmacy | 0 € | INAMI/RIZIV: no co-payment, no supplement |
| COVID-19 injection by a nurse | 0 € | INAMI/RIZIV |
| COVID-19 injection at the GP | 0 €, or the price of an ordinary consultation or visit, at the doctor’s choice | INAMI/RIZIV, Departement Zorg |
| Flu injection at the pharmacy | 0 € on top of the vaccine price | INAMI/RIZIV, vaccination-info.be |
| Flu vaccine, standard dose, risk group | 4,08 €, or 2,45 € with increased reimbursement | INAMI/RIZIV, season 2026-2027 |
| Flu vaccine, standard dose, outside a risk group | 17,74 € | INAMI/RIZIV |
| Flu vaccine Efluelda or Fluad, from 65 | 7,92 €, or 4,71 € with increased reimbursement | INAMI/RIZIV |
| Flu vaccine Efluelda or Fluad, outside the reimbursement conditions | 30,87 € | INAMI/RIZIV |
Example for a 72-year-old affiliated to a Belgian mutuality and vaccinated at a pharmacy: 0 € for COVID-19 and, for flu, 7,92 € with a high-dose or adjuvanted vaccine (4,71 € with increased reimbursement), or 4,08 € with a standard-dose vaccine (2,45 €). No injection fee is added.
At the GP, the doctor may bill an ordinary consultation or visit instead of the specific fee. In Wallonia, AVIQ writes that a vaccination carried out by a GP is billed as a consultation. The pages reviewed give neither the amount of that consultation nor the share left for you to pay: ask your doctor or your mutuality. One flu vaccine is reimbursed per person per season.
For someone affiliated to a Belgian mutuality, the administration fee, 15,50 €, is paid by the insurance directly to the pharmacist or the nurse: it is not charged to you.
Amounts consulted on 10 October 2026 on the INAMI/RIZIV pages. They apply to season 2026-2027 and can change: your pharmacy confirms the exact amount at the counter.
For someone affiliated to a Belgian mutuality, COVID-19 vaccination at the pharmacy costs 0 €: no co-payment and no supplement.
Source : INAMI/RIZIV: fees for flu or COVID-19 vaccination (FR) ↗INAMI/RIZIV: reimbursement of the seasonal flu vaccine (FR) ↗Vaccine prices in Belgium: the full table ↗Flu vaccine 2026-2027: who, when, how much ↗
Where is your COVID dose registered?
The federal rule is stated by INAMI/RIZIV: every vaccination is recorded in Vaccinnet+ or in the register set up by the Communities. What you can consult yourself then depends on your region.
| Region | Register | Where you consult your dose |
|---|---|---|
| Flanders | Vaccinnet. | Mijn Gezondheid, online. |
| Brussels | Vaccicard. The pharmacy records it through an eForm in its software. | Réseau Santé Bruxellois. |
| Wallonia | Not named for pharmacists in 2026 on the AVIQ pages reviewed. | reseausantewallon.be, with the identity card or itsme. |
| German-speaking Community | Not verified. | Not verified. |
vaccination-info.be states that the EU Digital COVID Certificate can be downloaded from the personal file on masante.belgique.be once the yearly dose has been given, showing the vaccine name and the batch number. That page contains other outdated passages and the information was not verified on MaSanté itself: do not rely on it without having seen it yourself.
A flu vaccine given at the pharmacy is recorded in your Shared Pharmaceutical Record (DPP), according to vaccination-info.be.
Source : Departement Zorg: Vaccinnet (NL) ↗Vivalis: Covid-19, professionals page (FR) ↗Find your vaccination history in Belgium ↗
No Belgian health insurance or non-resident: what do the sources say?
The free arrangements described above concern people affiliated to a Belgian mutuality. For everyone else, INAMI/RIZIV only writes that the provider cannot bill it for preparing or administering the vaccine.
No official source reviewed gives the amount the pharmacy or the doctor may then charge, says whether the dose itself stays free, or says whether a pharmacy will vaccinate a person in that situation. None addresses non-residents. Ask the pharmacy or the doctor before you go.
On identification without a national register number, the only document found is a Vivalis reference card dated 24 August 2021 on creating a BIS number, for cross-border workers and diplomats for example. It is still linked from the Brussels professionals page, but nothing confirms that it describes current practice, and it says nothing about tourists or short stays.
Other questions remain without an official answer as of 10 October 2026.
| Question | What the official sources say as of 10 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Health Council COVID-19 advice for 2026-2027 | Not yet published. The groups are those of advice 9880 (2025-2026). |
| Start date in Wallonia | No date published for 2026, only the period "September/October". |
| German-speaking Community | Official page not accessible: nothing could be verified. |
| Price without a Belgian mutuality or for a non-resident | No amount published. |
| Booking online or by phone | No official route named: contact the GP or the pharmacy. |
| Amount of the GP consultation | Not stated on the pages reviewed. |
| Invitation sent to the target groups | Nothing found for 2026. |
Content verified on 10 October 2026 against the official sources listed at the bottom of this page.
No official source reviewed gives the amount the pharmacy or the doctor may charge a person without a Belgian mutuality, or says whether the dose itself stays free.
Source : INAMI/RIZIV: fees for flu or COVID-19 vaccination (FR) ↗Vaccination schedule in Belgium: the adult guide ↗
Frequently asked questions
Is the COVID vaccine free at the pharmacy in Belgium?
Yes for someone affiliated to a Belgian mutuality: the vaccine is supplied free by the Communities and INAMI/RIZIV pays the pharmacist for the injection, with no co-payment and no supplement. At the GP, an ordinary consultation may be billed, and AVIQ writes that it is in Wallonia.
When can you get the COVID and flu vaccines in 2026?
The COVID-19 campaign started on 14 September 2026 in Brussels and was planned from 29 September in Flanders; Wallonia publishes no date for 2026 and recommends September or October. For flu, the medicines agency AFMPS/FAGG announces a start in mid-October and recommends vaccination until mid-December.
Can you get the flu and COVID vaccines on the same day?
Yes. Health Council flu advice 9897 for 2026-2027 accepts it and asks that it be offered, with two separate injection sites according to vaccination-info.be. Flanders advises mid-October to the end of November, Brussels 14 to 31 October.
What do the flu and COVID vaccines cost for a 72-year-old?
With a Belgian mutuality and at a pharmacy: 0 € for COVID-19 and, for flu, 7,92 € with a high-dose or adjuvanted vaccine, or 4,71 € with increased reimbursement. A standard-dose flu vaccine costs 4,08 €, or 2,45 €. INAMI/RIZIV amounts consulted on 10 October 2026, to be confirmed at the counter.
Which vaccines are necessary in Belgium this autumn 2026?
No official source reviewed speaks of a necessary or mandatory vaccine in autumn 2026: the vaccines are recommended, for specific groups. For people over 65, the Superior Health Council names COVID-19, flu, pneumococcal infections and RSV.
What does the COVID vaccine cost without Belgian insurance or for a non-resident?
No official source publishes a price. INAMI/RIZIV only states that the provider cannot bill it for the act for a person not affiliated to a Belgian mutuality: ask the pharmacy or the doctor before you go.
Official sources
- CSS/HGR : avis 9880, stratégie belge de vaccination contre le COVID-19, saison 2025-2026 (publié le 14/07/2025) ↗
- CSS/HGR : avis 9880, texte complet (PDF, EN) ↗
- CSS/HGR : liste des avis publiés en 2026 (aucun avis COVID-19) ↗
- CSS/HGR : avis 9897, vaccination contre la grippe saisonnière, saison 2026-2027 ↗
- CBIP/BCFI : prévention des infections virales des voies respiratoires chez les adultes, hiver 2026-2027 (10/09/2026) ↗
- CBIP/BCFI : Répertoire, chapitre 12 « Immunité » (PDF, version du 08/10/2026) ↗
- CBIP/BCFI : vaccination contre la COVID 2025-2026 (05/09/2025) ↗
- INAMI : quels honoraires pour la vaccination contre la grippe ou la COVID-19 ? ↗
- RIZIV : welke honoraria voor vaccinatie tegen griep of Covid-19? (NL) ↗
- INAMI/RIZIV : remboursement du vaccin contre la grippe saisonnière ↗
- INAMI : circulaire du 8 septembre 2022 sur les vaccinations COVID individuelles (formation du pharmacien) ↗
- Departement Zorg : Herfstcampagne 2026-2027 (mise à jour du 05/10/2026) ↗
- Departement Zorg : Vaccinaties in het najaar, griep en covid (mise à jour du 01/09/2026) ↗
- Departement Zorg : Vaccinnet, vaccins bestellen en registreren ↗
- AVIQ : FAQ vaccination COVID-19 (PDF, mise à jour du 01/09/2026) ↗
- AVIQ : guide de vaccination chez l’adulte en Région wallonne (PDF, version du 26/08/2026) ↗
- vaccination-info.be : COVID-19 (mise à jour du 07/07/2026) ↗
- vaccination-info.be : par qui et où se faire vacciner ? ↗
- vaccination-info.be : votre pharmacien peut aussi vous vacciner contre la grippe ↗
- Vivalis : Covid-19, espace professionnel ↗
- Vivalis : Covid-19, page citoyenne ↗
- Vivalis : mémo vaccination grippe et COVID-19, automne 2026 (PDF, 31/07/2026) ↗
- Vivalis : recommandations aux pharmacies, campagne 2026 (PDF, 21/08/2026) ↗
- Vivalis : procédure vaccins COVID-19, version 2.23 (PDF, 30/09/2026) ↗
- Vivalis : fiche « Création d’un numéro BIS » (PDF, 24/08/2021) ↗
- AFMPS : campagne de vaccination contre la grippe saisonnière 2026-2027 (29/09/2026) ↗
- pharmacie.be : quels vaccins sont remboursés ? (21/09/2026) ↗
- pharmacie.be : les pharmaciens peuvent vous vacciner contre la grippe (22/09/2025) ↗