A misunderstanding allowed people to walk in for their second vaccination — no appointment necessary.
Twitter was abuzz over the weekend with reports that various places in the Netherlands were allowing second shots on a walk-in basis.
“Amsterdammers, you can just go get your second vaccine at RAI now. Even if you already have another appointment. It’s very quiet so go!” wrote Meike (@Meikebe) on Twitter.
Others posted about their success, like Deniz Alkac (@denizalkac).
“Fully vaccinated. And earlier than planned. Thanks to @gjkooijman‘s tip. You can walk into Amsterdam this weekend without an appointment for your 1st or 2nd injection, provided it was 21 days(+) ago. Spread the word, not the virus! 🦠💉”
Going, going, gone
But the number of lucky people who walked in appointment-free quickly dried up, with the GGD quickly identifying it as an error.
“You can only get a first shot without an appointment,” a spokesperson for GGD Amsterdam told RTL Nieuws. “The instructions have been tightened and just walking in is no longer possible.”
The GGD clarified that you can only walk in for your first jab if you haven’t made a vaccination appointment yet. “It is possible that the information about a first or second injection without an appointment has started to get mixed up,” says the spokesperson.
“It is based on a misunderstanding, which is entirely due to us.”
Time between vaccinations shorter
The good news is that people now only have to wait four weeks for their second shot, instead of five. The bad news is that this only applies to people who haven’t made their appointment yet — and you’re not allowed to call to bring your appointment forward.
“There are about three million appointments planned for a second shot in the coming period. If you bring all of those forward, there will not be enough vaccines at that early date,” says the spokesperson.
Are you anxious to bring your vaccination forward? Tell us your experience in the comments below!