A number of Belgium players have reportedly rejected the chance to receive a Covid-19 vaccination before Euro 2020.
Belgian outlet HLN claim some of Roberto Martinez’s players turned down the chance to take the Pfizer jab over fears it will wreck their chances.
The country’s government had given the green light for the Red Devils – the number one international team in football – to receive their vaccination.
Yet some players are worried about the potential side effects – tiredness, headaches, muscle and joint pain, chills and fever – that affects more than one in ten people.
Belgium, which reported 1,498 Covid cases on June 1, are set to begin their Euro campaign against Russia on June 12.
Premier League stars – past and present – including Toby Alderweireld, Timothy Castagne, Thibaut Courtois and Thomas Vermaelen are all said to have received their jabs.
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But professor Dirk Ramaekers, who heads Belgium’s Task Force COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy, allayed fears about the refusals to be vaccinated.
He said: “A number of Red Devils had already been vaccinated abroad, a number of them have recently experienced Covid.
“The latter have antibodies and prefer to be vaccinated after the tournament.
“Of those who were not vaccinated, the vast majority had themselves vaccinated upon arrival in our country.”
Ramaekers said Belgium’s squad and coach Martinez were ‘very pro-vaccination’ and that only ‘one or two’ opted out of receiving their jabs.
He added: “I look at it positively and notice that the players – with guys like Mertens, Lukaku and Hazard in the lead – just like the association and the coach are very pro-vaccination.
“Within the group, the majority is protected. The group protection is great because those boys will live in a highly isolated environment for the coming weeks.
“On the field, all participating teams will protect their players as much as possible with vaccination and testing.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
