Nursing home employee Sanna Elkadiri received the first vaccination in the presence of Hugo de Jonge (Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport), André Rouvoet (GGD GHOR) and Jaap van Delden (RIVM Programme Director for COVID-19 Vaccination). RIVM is coordinating implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination.

First COVID-19 vaccinations in the Netherlands

Since Monday 4 January, invitation letters have been sent to the approximately 269,000 care workers at nursing homes and small-scale residential facilities. Starting today, the first people from this group will be vaccinated by the Municipal Public Health Service (GGD). Approximately 30,000 hospital employees who provide COVID-19 care will also be vaccinated. This concerns a select group of nurses and doctors working in intensive care, emergency care, the COVID-19 wards and ambulance crews.

GGD vaccination locations 

Starting next Friday, healthcare workers can also be vaccinated at GGD vaccination locations in Houten and Rotterdam, followed on Monday 11 January by Amsterdam, Drenthe and The Hague. As of 15 January, all 25 GGD vaccination locations in the country will be open for administration of the COVID-19 vaccines. From 18 January on, a maximum of 66,000 care workers per week can be vaccinated at the various locations. Over the past two days, 59,608 people have made appointments for their first and second jabs via the GGD call centre. 

After the care workers in nursing homes and small-scale residential facilities have been invited, care workers in disability care (178,000 people), district nursing and WMO-based support (166,000 people) will also be invited to make an appointment for vaccination.