Dutch Army all set to help with national Covid vaccination campaign

It is “99 percent certain“ that the Dutch Army will be deployed to help carry out the national Covid-19 vaccination process, municipal health service GGD told BNR. All requisite training has been completed, and the military can be deployed immediately if necessary, the Ministry of Health and the GGD confirmed.

The activities that the military can take part in are diverse, according to the chair of the military trade union VBM Jean Debie. “We have soldiers who are medically trained, but there is a wide range of possibilities. Logistical support and also security support can be provided,“ he told BNR.

“The Army works for society and when there’s a crisis and they can make a contribution and make sure society can function normally, they are asked to step in,“ said Debie. Continuing with the six-step plan to exit the coronavirus lockdown largely relies on fulfilling Health Minister Hugo de Jonge's repeated pledge that all adult residents of the Netherlands will be offered at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine by early July.

Aside from helping with the vaccination campaign, the Army can also assist in carrying out the coronavirus rapid testing which may soon become mandatory for people wishing to attend events. Current capacity and need will dictate where exactly they will be deployed and what their duty will be, and all will be determined in consultation with the GGD.

According to an estimate by the RIVM, 7,309,350 doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered in the Netherlands to date.