Hardly any parents getting young kids vaccinated against Covid

Hardly any children between 5 and 11 have been vaccinated against Covid-19 in the Netherlands. Since the end of February, less than 6,000 young kids have gotten a first Covid-19 jab. Even fewer shots were administered to teens aged 12 to 17, but their overall vaccination rate is much higher, NU.nl reports based on figures from the public health institute RIVM.

Covid-19 vaccination opened to 5- to 11-year-olds at medical risk in December and to everyone in the age group in mid-January. Only 6 percent of the 1.3 million kids in this age group have gotten their first shot, and only 3 percent are fully vaccinated. The vaccination rate among teenagers has been around 70 percent since the turn of the year.

The RIVM is not shocked by the figures. "We huge there was not a huge willingness to vaccinate the youngest children," a spokesperson said to the newspaper. "We offer it: it is a possibility." According to the spokesperson, the health service also never aimed for a specific vaccination rate in this age group. He stressed that the jab is not necessary for young children.