Vaccine rollout phases; Credit: MSAN

Luxembourg's Ministry of Health has revealed further details about the national COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan.

Phase 1

The ongoing first phase of the campaign has seen healthcare workers as well as care home staff and residents vaccinated. To date, 86% of care home residents have received the vaccine, whilst just under 50% of healtcare workers accepted the invitation to get vaccinated.

Phase 2

The second phase of vaccinations is expected to start in March 2021, although it cannot begin before the end of the current phase. This phase targets people aged 75 and over, starting with the oldest, as well as people who are considered highly vulnerable due to a pre-existing health condition. The latter includes adults with trisomy 21, organ transplant recipients (and those on a waiting list), hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients (during the first six months or in the case of  immunosuppressive treatment), cancer patients undergoing treatment and people with congenital immunodeficiencies.

Phase 3

The third phase will cover people aged between 70 and 74, again starting with the oldest, and significantly vulnerable people with a pre-existing health condition, such as HIV/AIDS, severe chronic respiratory disease, severe cardiovascular disease, a major neurocognitive deficit, chronic kidney failure on dialysis, Child-Pugh B or C cirrhosis or morbid obesity.

Phase 4

The fourth phase is aimed at people aged 65 to 69 and moderately vulnerable people with a pre-existing health condition, such as diabetes, cardio-neuro-vascular complications, complicated hypertension or neuromuscular disease with clinical implications.

Phase 5

The fifth phase will target people aged 55 to 64 and those with a medical condition that may put them at increased risk, such as uncomplicated diabetes, uncomplicated hypertension or obesity.

Phase 6

The sixth and final stage of the vaccination campaign will first cover specific categories of the general population, such as people in precarious circumstances, living in communities and not previously vaccinated due to vulnerability, and other people whose occupation puts them at particular risk of infection. The campaign will then be extended to the general resident population aged 16 to 54, starting with the oldest, who had not already received the vaccination.

Children younger than 16 will not be vaccinated.

The exact timeline for the vaccine rollout has not yet been defined.

As of Monday 1 February 2020, a total of 13,241 vaccinations had been carried out in Luxembourg.