Living in the Netherlands? Find out when you can get vaccinated against Covid-19, and where

The Netherlands is set to begin vaccinating people against Covid-19 on Wednesday, with a 39-year-old nursing home caregiver standing first in line for the shot. The country's start date has changed several times over the past two months, as has a prioritization strategy to determine who gets first access to vaccines.

Health Minister Hugo de Jonge bore the brunt of the criticism, for reversing course on a plan to first inoculate the vulnerable, and for crafting a strategy that revolved around first approval of a vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. Thus far, only a vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech has won approval from the European Medicines Agency, which requires complicated storage and delivery logistics.

Because of this, De Jonge said it would be too complicated to first vaccinate the vulnerable, and placed their caregivers ahead of the pack. More pressure was put on De Jonge due to the overcrowding at hospitals, in part caused by the sick leave healthcare workers take after becoming infected with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Thus, the ministry added many acute caregivers and family doctors to the priority access list.

The following is based on an update from the Ministry of Health, submitted on Monday to Parliament, shows where the Netherlands now stands with its vaccination plan. The information below covers who can get vaccinated, when, with which vaccine, and where. Below that is a list of all vaccine doses the Netherlands has planned to acquire over then upcoming 15 months, and a list of all GGD mass vaccination points and their opening dates.

Who can get vaccinated, and when?

Healthcare workers group 1: residential care

This includes those working in nursing homes or smaller residential facilities (269,000) to start, and then also people providing care to those with disabilities (178,000), and on-location nurses including home healthcare workers (166,000).

• When: From January 6 through April 30
• Which vaccine: BioNTech/Pfizer at first, then AstraZeneca, CureVac, Janssen, or GSK/Sanofi when they are approved by the EMA
• Location: At a mass vaccination facility organized by the GGD

Healthcare workers group 2: acute care

This includes the 30 thousand people who staff the country's intensive care units, coronavirus wards in hospitals, emergency rooms, and ambulance or air ambulance crews. Family physicians and their staff will be included in this group, beginning with those who work at the around-the-clock urgent care offices.

• When: between January 6 and mid-February
• Which vaccine: BioNTech/Pfizer
• Location: Mainly at hospitals and organized by their employer

Care home residents group 1

This includes 155 thousand people who are either living in a nursing home, or who have an intellectual disability and live in another 24-hour care facility.

• When: from Late January or Early February through May 31
• Which vaccine: BioNTech/Pfizer or Moderna, whichever is available
• Location: At the care homes, provided by the doctor on staff

Care home residents group 2

This includes the other 77 thousand people who are either living in a nursing home, or who have an intellectual disability and live in another 24-hour care facility.

• When: from Late January or Early February through June 30
• Which vaccine: Moderna
• Location: Organized by a general practitioner

Healthcare workers group 3: Institutionalized care

This includes the 25 thousand people who provide care to psychiatric patients residing in an institution.

• When: from Mid-February through March 31
• Which vaccine: Moderna for some, AstraZeneca, CureVac, Johnson & Johnson, or GSK/Sanofi for everyone else
• Location: Organized by their employer

Institutionalized care residents

This includes the 60 thousand psychiatric patients who reside in an institution.

• When: from Mid-February through May 30
• Which vaccine: Moderna for about half, then AstraZeneca, CureVac, Johnson & Johnson, or GSK/Sanofi
• Location: At the mental health facility via facility doctor/employer

Adults younger than 60: Medically vulnerable

An estimated 1.8 million people living in the Netherlands are from 18 up to 60 years of age, and have a medical condition that makes them more likely to need acute care if they acquire Covid-19.

• When: From Late February through September 30
• Which vaccine: AstraZeneca, CureVac, Johnson & Johnson, or GSK/Sanofi
• Location: Organized by their general practitioner

Adults living at home, older than 60, ambulatory

There are three million people from the age of 60 through 74 who are living at home and do not have a medical condition that makes them more likely to require acute care if they acquire Covid-19. They are also mobile, and capable of visiting a location that is outside of their locality.

• When: From Mid-March through Late September
• Which vaccine: BioNTech/Pfizer
• Location: At a mass vaccination facility organized by the GGD

Adults living at home, older than 75; Adults living at home, older than 60, non-ambulatory

This includes two groups of people, such as everyone aged 75 or older who reside in their own homes, and non-ambulatory people from the age of 60 through 74 who are not capable of visiting a facility outside of their locality. There are 1.3 million people who fit into one of these groups.

• When: From Mid-March through Mid-September
• Which vaccine: Moderna
• Location: Organized by their general practitioner either at their office, or during a house call

Healthcare workers group 4: All other workers

This includes the healthcare workers who do not qualify to receive a vaccination earlier either because of their age, medical history, or their specific field of care. An estimated 630 thousand people fall into this category, based on data from the CBS.

• When: From April 1 through July 31
• Which vaccine: Moderna for some, AstraZeneca, CureVac, Johnson & Johnson, or GSK/Sanofi for everyone else
• Location: Organized by their employer

Adults younger than 60; Not medically vulnerable

This includes the remaining 7.1 million adults in the Netherlands who reside at home, and who do not have a medical condition that makes them more likely to need acute care if they acquire Covid-19. They also do not fall into any of the categories above.

• When: From Mid-April through September 30
• Which vaccine: AstraZeneca, CureVac, Johnson & Johnson, or GSK/Sanofi
• Location: At either a GGD location, Or at the office of their general practitioner

When does the Netherlands expect to take delivery of different vaccines?

The Netherlands expects to take delivery of 61.7 million coronavirus vaccine doses by the end of March 2022. Delivery began with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in December 2020, when the country received its first 165 thousand doses. No other vaccine has been approved by the European Medicines Agency, though the EMA was likely to rule on Moderna's candidate on Wednesday, and could issue a provisional green light to AstraZeneca later this month.

All vaccines are likely to require two doses. The Johnson & Johnson candidate developed at Janssen Vaccines in Leiden was initially tested as a single-dose product.

Where are the GGD mass vaccination sites located?

The GGD municipal health service is divided into 25 different regions. At the start of the coronavirus vaccination process, there will be one mass vaccination center available in each of the regions except Zeeland, where there will be two.

Vaccination sites to open on January 6:

• Hart voor Brabant: Former Jumbo distribution center on De Amert in Veghel

Vaccination sites to open on January 8:

• Rotterdam-Rijmond: Rotterdam The Hague Airport in Rotterdam
• Utrecht: Expo exhibition center in Houten

Vaccination sites to open on January 11:

• Amsterdam-Amstelland: RAI convention center
• Drenthe: TT Circuit Assen
• Haaglanden: Cars Jeans Stadium in The Hague

Vaccination sites to open on January 15:

• Brabant, West: Amphia on Langendijk in Breda
• Brabant-Zuidoost: Sportcentrum Eindhoven
• Flevoland: A commercial building on Schroefstraat in Lelystad
• Fryslân: De Keltenhal van het WTC Expo in Leeuwarden
• Gelderland-Midden: Papendal sports center
• Gelderland, Noord en Oost: Mheenpark sports hall in Apeldorn
• Gelderland-Zuid: A facility on Havenweg in Wijchen
• Gooi & Vechtstreek: Koninklijke Visio on Amersfoorstestraatweg in Huizen
• Groningen: MartiniPlaza Groningen
• Hollands-Midden: Events and Convention Center at Holiday Inn in Leiden
• Hollands Noorden: Evenemententerrein on Olympiaweg in Alkmaar
• IJsselland: IJsselhallen in Zwolle
• Kennemerland: Schiphol Airport in Haarlemmermeer
• Limburg-Noord: Kazerneterrein former military barracks site in Blerick, Venlo
• Limburg, Zuid: XL-testlocatie, P6 parking area at the MECC in Maastricht
• Twente: P3 parking area at the University of Twente in Enschede
• Zaanstreek-Waterland: Sportcomplex De Beuk in Purmerend
• Zeeland: Zeelandhallen in Goes
• Zeeland: ZorgSaam hospital in Terneuzen
• Zuid-Holland Zuid: Sporthal Deetos in Dordrecht