The COVID-19 booster campaign is being accelerated. One of the consequences is a shorter interval between the last vaccination and the booster vaccination. As of today, people aged 60 years and older can make an appointment if their last vaccination was at least 3 months ago. This can only be done online. Calling is not possible at this time, due to how busy it is.
Omicron
Until recently, the guideline in the Netherlands was to give the booster vaccination 6 months after the last vaccination. Due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, this interval has now been shortened to 3 months. As a result, more people will quickly have access to better protection against serious illness due to COVID-19, in the interest of public health. Earlier this year, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) gave the green light for a booster vaccination 3 months after the last basic vaccination.
Also 3 months after positive test
If you tested positive for COVID-19 since your last vaccination, you also have to wait 3 months to make an appointment for your booster vaccination. This interval was also previously 6 months.
Need help to make an appointment online?
People who need assistance in scheduling the appointment online can watch the video explaining how. Step-by-step user guides are also available. These resources are available on the website of the Dutch Government. The public libraries are also offering assistance.
Prevent the GGD call centre from overloading
The Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) are asking people to schedule booster vaccinations online to prevent the national call centre from overloading. Partner vaccinations are no longer being scheduled. Hundreds of thousands of calls are coming in every day. As a result, the call centre is under extreme pressure and cannot handle any additional calls. In addition, we need to prevent the national telephone network from experiencing problems.