GP's angry RIVM vaccine leader slammed AstraZeneca

A number of general physicians expressed their dissatisfaction over an interview in which RIVM Covid-19 vaccination program director Jaap van Delden said that millions of doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine destined for the Netherlands will likely be given away to other countries. Van Delden said that any of the AstraZeneca vaccine doses which arrive after mid-May would not be needed, as there will be plenty of alternatives available.

GPs argued that the statement was poorly timed and was threatening to endanger already damaged turnout some places in the country were recording. The association representing general practitioners in the Netherlands, LHV, argued that, despite recent concerns over very rare side effects related to blood clots, AstraZeneca jabs still remained essential in the ongoing vaccination process.

“As far as we are concerned, it is clear: if the choice is between AstraZeneca now or possibly a different vaccine at a later time, then the choice must absolutely be AstraZeneca now. The best vaccine is always the fastest available vaccine.”, they stated.

According to them, Van Delden crossed off AstraZeneca too early, given that many GPs are now trying to vaccinate as many 60 to 65-year-olds as possible. "This doesn't help at all," one GP said on Twitter.

Following the unrest over Van Delden’s statement, the RIVM explained in a tweet posted on Saturday that  AstraZeneca is “a good vaccine that offers protection against the effects of Covid-19”, and stated that the drug is certainly still needed for the vaccination of 1 million people via the general practitioner, both for the first and in the long term the second shot.

The Netherlands has ordered 11.7 million doses of AstraZeneca and an estimated 1.5 million of these have already been administered. The largest bulk is scheduled to be delivered after mid-May. On April 8, the Netherlands officially stopped using the AstraZeneca job for people younger than 60.