GGD cautions against getting booster shot abroad

The GGD strongly advised not to get Covid-19 booster vaccinations across the border. It could cause problems when registering in the CoronaCheck app, a spokeswoman for the umbrella organization GGD GHOR Netherlands said.

Anyone who gets their booster shot in Germany will not get a certificate in the CoronaCheck App. After a booster shot abroad, you can only receive a paper access pass, not a Digital Corona Certificate to travel. A digital certificate can only be given by the European country where the booster shot was given, a GGD spokesperson said.

"To avoid disappointment, we advise people to have themselves vaccinated in the Netherlands," the spokesperson said. "The booster campaign is going very fast in the Netherlands and does not cause any problems afterward when registering in the CoronaCheck app."

It was unclear how many Dutch people had already obtained a booster shot abroad. The vaccination rate in Vaals, near the German border, is 20 percent higher than the national average of vaccinations administered in Germany.

Many Dutch people attended a vaccination marathon this weekend in Duisburg, not far from Venlo.

Anyone who had a Covid-19 vaccination in the Netherlands will receive a nationally and internationally valid QR code in the CoronaCheck app. The booster shot can be obtained three months after the last vaccination or recovery from Covid-19. The goal is for all adults who want a booster shot to receive one by the end of January.