Outgoing minister Hugo de Jonge contains “three million booster shots for the New Year”. Then all people over 60 must have received an extra corona jab. The additional staff that is needed can report through a dedicated website.

The offensive follows harsh criticism. The Netherlands is at the rear of Europe when it comes to booster shots. With a number of fixed shots to 700,000 per week that will be pushed up in the coming weeks, De Jonge wants to catch up.

But according to Roel Coutinho, microbiologist and former director of the Center for Infectious Disease Control at RIVM, it is very late. “The vaccination campaign has been going well from the start. If it doesn’t happen suddenly, men there will start playing in mid-September, the Health Council advises to start taking a quick booster shot. It is very remarkable that a plan was not immediately made.”

Coutinho lacks self-criticism. “To do better next time. We often seem to know better. Other countries have chosen a different approach. The effect here is that the preparation is carried out in people. Everyone knew it was boosting, but there was no plan. It’s amazing. We miss good management, right from the start. More can and must be done, also for the future.”

Data analyst Yorick Bleijenberg hopes that De Jonge will reach the intended pace and even increase it. “If we had already started during Sinterklaas, we could already have three million shots.” He analyzed for a ‘full-throttle approach’. “Then we will immediately start with 100,000 injections a day the day after the advice of the health council has been issued. A pace that we will only achieve in weeks two.”

Red

Six months ago, 2.8 million people in the Netherlands had received two shots. Actually, they should have their booster now, but the Netherlands is only at just under 300,000. These are the shots for people with an immune disorder, more than 100,000, and the number of booster shots 173,000.

In processing all data, Bleijenberg has already on August 17 keep in mind that the booster shot was coming. “With a red fruit! I did not expect that to last until November.”

Check out his different scenarios below.

Anyone who wants a booster shot can receive it in the seventh month after the last vaccination, De Jonge said today. From January it will be the turn of people under the age of 60. That goes from old to young.

General practitioners, military personnel and home care workers can request the booster campaign. They all offer to help with the injections. The GGD has also asked for help with injections.