Health Minister open to on-camera vaccination

Minister Hugo de Jonge of Public Health will have no problem getting vaccinated against the coronavirus in front of the camera, but only once it is his turn and all the vulnerable people have already had their vaccination, he said on Friday, ANP reports.

In the United States, former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton said they will get vaccinated in front of the camera, to set a good example. RTL Nieuws asked whether the Netherlands will follow suit and have Prime Minister Mark Rutte and King Willem-Alexander vaccinated in such a public way.

De Jonge, at least, is in. "When it's my turn, I have no problem doing that in all transparency," he said. "It is great that science provides with this. Vaccination is our best asset."

But he stressed that he will wait his turn, like all other younger and healthy Netherlands residents. "In the Netherlands we have chosen to do the vulnerable groups first, then it makes sense to have the first vaccines available for them.

EditieNL asked government information service RVD whether Rutte will do the same. A spokesperson said: "In the Netherlands we are following the vaccination policy properly. The Prime Minister will undoubtedly - when the time comes - get vaccinated. But how that will happen is not going to be speculated on yet."

About King Willem-Alexander and Princess Beatrix, who at age 82 is in one of the vulnerable groups first in line for vaccination, the RVD spokesperson simply said: "That is a private matter."