GGD vaccinated 9,800 on Sunday; Vaccination starts for elderly living at home

On Sunday a total of 9,821 people were vaccinated against the coronavirus at GGD vaccination points. From Tuesday, the municipal health services will start vaccinating elderly people over the age of 90 who live on their own and are able to go to a vaccination station. 

By Sunday, the GGDs gave a total of 106,886 people their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. Both vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency so far, by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, require two doses. On Wednesday, the GGD will start giving healthcare workers their second dose. Healthcare workers were the first to get the Covid-19 shots around three weeks ago.

Last week Minister Hugo de Jonge of Public Health adjusted the vaccination plan to delay the second dose by three weeks, so that some of the reserved second doses can instead be used as first doses in order the vaccinate the elderly sooner. He did say, however, that those who already had an appointment for their second dose would not lose that appointment.

General practitioners informed the municipal health services which of their elderly patients aged 90 or older are mobile enough to go to a GGD vaccination point. These elderly people will get an invitation to get vaccinated from their own GP on Tuesday, from where they can make an appointment for the same day.

By the end of the week, the GGDs hope to start vaccinating people in the age group 85 to 90 who are still living at home. This involves around 220 thousand elderly. 

It's not only the GGD administering coronavirus vaccines in the Netherlands. Hospitals and some general practitioners are also doing so. These figures do not include vaccines administered outside the GGD.