Covid vaccinations back on the rise as coronavirus pass expansion nears
Last week was the first calendar week in months where an increase in Covid-19 vaccinations was reported by the RIVM. The increase was linked to a surge in appointments for inoculation against the coronavirus disease after the Cabinet announced that coronavirus passes in the form of QR codes would be needed to enter the indoor spaces of hospitality businesses, entertainment events and cultural venues starting on September 25.
The QR codes can be generated in the CoronaCheck app either within 24 hours of a negative coronavirus test, or with proof of recovery from Covid-19. It can also be created 14 days after someone receives their last Covid-19 vaccine shot.
About 150 thousand vaccines were administered last week, an 18 percent increase compared to the week from September 6 to 12. That week had been the weakest result of any seven-day period since the first month of the vaccination campaign.
The entire increase was attributed to more people getting a first shot of any Covid-19 vaccine. About 68 thousand people received their first vaccine dose last week, an increase of 54 percent. People born between 2004 and 2009, and those born from 1986 to 1995 accounted for the most vaccine recipients in this group. Roughly 80 thousand others were given their second shot of a vaccine, a slight decrease of about 2 percent.
First vaccine shots now account for over 12.7 million injections, including over 801 thousand uses of the one-shot Janssen Vaccine. Booster shots have been given to about 10.7 million. The total number of vaccine doses given through Sunday totalled 23,407,074.
About 70 percent of the total Dutch population is considered fully vaccinated against Covid-19, including the population of over 2.1 million children under the age of 12 who are not yet able to get vaccinated. About 80 percent of everyone aged 12 and up has been vaccinated against the disease, including over 82 percent of adults. In this case, the definition of "fully vaccinated" includes those who were given one vaccine shot and who had previously recovered from a coronavirus infection.
Nearly 600 thousand people aged 12 and up still need to get a second vaccination shot, the RIVM data showed.Up to and including Sunday 19 September, an estimated 23.4 million vaccinations have been administered in the Netherlands. More than 12.7 million of these are first vaccinations and more than 10.6 million second vaccinations. It is now estimated that 86.0% of all over 18s have received a first vaccination and 82.1% are fully vaccinated. Of everyone over the age of 12, 83.5% have received a first vaccination and 79.6% have been fully vaccinated.
In the past week, especially in the younger age groups, more vaccinations were administered than in the few weeks before. As a result, the rise in the turnout for the first vaccination is higher than in recent weeks.