Initially, the Netherlands was one of the slowest countries in the EU when it came to coronavirus vaccination. Now, more than 200,000 vaccination invites are sent every day, amounting to about 1.5 million injections per week.
The first 90s babies can already get their first jab and as of today, individuals born in 1994 can book their appointment. The government’s aim is that everyone who wants to get vaccinated will have gotten their first dose by mid-July.
1️⃣9️⃣9️⃣4️⃣, vandaag is het jullie beurt! Rond 10:00 uur kun je naar de website voor je vaccinatie-afspraak. Dus #PlanDePrik online en 🗣 zegt het voort! 👉 https://t.co/Gymdf4GlTA pic.twitter.com/Ms0t5yxqKI
While the GGDs are currently giving about 1.5 million injections per week, the hope is that this will increase to 2 million over a number of weeks, reports NU.nl. If this becomes the case and one or more age groups are invited for their first jab on a daily basis, then everyone over the age of 18 will be able to schedule an appointment for their first jab by the week of June 21.
How are the vaccines rolling out so fast?
The main reason for the sudden spike in invitations is that more vaccines are being delivered to the Netherlands.
When the Netherlands first began to vaccinate people, only 200,000 vaccines were being delivered per week. In April, that number hit 720,000. Now, the vaccination schedule can really start to move forward because last week, 1.36 million vaccines were delivered!
READ MORE | How do I get my jab invite? Dutch vaccination process for internationals explained
Other factors have also played a role in the increased vaccination rates. For example, it was found out that people who had previously had coronavirus only needed one jab — leaving an extra dose for someone else.
Luxury of choice
In fact, vaccinations are going so well that in June, the government decided to remove the Janssen vaccine from the Dutch vaccination programme.
The Jannsen vaccine was briefly put on hold to investigate its potential side effects but was eventually deemed safe enough to be resumed. However, now that vaccination rates are taking a sprint, the Jannsen vaccine is no longer necessary for the programme.
Outgoing Health Minister, Hugo de Jonge, said that “the injection rate is now so high that we are in the luxury position to offer a choice.”
The Janssen vaccine is still deemed to be sufficiently safe and has the advantage that you only need one jab to be fully vaccinated. From June 21, people who wish to get the Jannsen vaccine can indicate so.
Have you already received your first jab? Do you think the Netherlands will meet its vaccination goals? Tell us in the comments below!
Feature Image: torstensimon/Pixabay
