Under Belgian law, vaccination against polio is mandatory and you will need to show proof that your child has been vaccinated against polio before he/she can attend daycare / school.
Vaccinations against other illnesses are common given and you may need to have your child vaccinated against these to be able to attend daycare or school.
What vaccinations are mandatory / offered?
Under Belgian law, vaccination against polio is mandatory and you will need to show proof that your child has been vaccinated against polio before he/she can attend daycare / school.
For daycare overseen by the Office de le Naissance et de l’Enfance (ONE), you will also need to show proof that your baby is vaccinated against diphtheria, whooping cough, type b Haemophilus influenzae, measles, rubella (German measles) and mumps.
The website http://www.vaccination-info.be/ features a handy vaccination calendar based on Belgian recommendations. It also advises in general on vaccinations for children and adults, both when in Belgium and when travelling.
Where do I go for vaccinations?
You can have your child vaccinated:
- by your paediatrician / family doctor. If you choose to do this, you will need to get a prescription for the vaccines from your doctor, and get them yourself in a pharmacy.
- at the ONE/Kind en Gezin. These agencies offer free vaccination programmes, based on the recommendations of the Superior Health Counsel of Belgium.
If you choose to take advantage of this programme, you do not need to acquire the vaccinations yourself – the ONE/Kind en Gezin paediatricians keep the necessary vaccinations in stock.