Today, schools open their doors again after an early, lockdown-induced closure before the holidays. Yet, the Dutch government is behind with ordering age-appropriate coronavirus vaccines.
According to NRC, the RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and Environment) has only ordered 42,000 doses of age-appropriate vaccines — not nearly enough for the 1,3 million children in the Netherlands.
The RIVM says that it had been waiting for official approval to go through with vaccinating children by the Dutch Health Council.
Vaccinations to start late January
The Dutch approach vaccinating children differently from their European neighbours. Germany, France, and Spain have already ordered millions of age-appropriate vaccines in December 2021.
In the Netherlands, only about 1,000 out of 8,000 children with underlying health conditions have received their first jab.
For now, the plan is to send out a letter with an invitation to get vaccinated to parents with children aged five to eleven by January 18. The week after, on January 24, the vaccination campaign is supposed to start.
What do you think about the Netherlands vaccination rate for children? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
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