The RIVM vaccination update this week has been expanded to include three maps of the Netherlands. For the first time, it is now possible to see vaccination turnout by municipality for everyone aged 18 years and over. That includes turnout for at least one vaccination and for full vaccination. Turnout among people aged 18 years and over is currently at nearly 85% for at least one vaccination, and estimates indicate that 66% of all those aged 18 and older are fully vaccinated. This report also shows vaccination coverage for full vaccination among people aged 26-45 years per municipality.
The vaccination figures presented in the COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker provided by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) were updated today. The latest figures show that 84.8% of people aged 18 and over in the Netherlands have now received at least one vaccination. Many age groups continue to see an increase in turnout, so vaccination turnout and coverage among people aged 18 and over is likely to rise as high as 85% or more.
Younger age groups
Turnout in age groups born after 1970 has not yet reached 85%. In order to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, it is important to achieve high vaccination coverage in all age groups and regions. Various studies show that a high willingness to be vaccinated among younger age groups, and vaccination coverage is expected to continue rising in these age groups as well in the weeks to come.
Figure: Turnout for at least one COVID-19 vaccination among people aged 18 years and over, by municipality, weeks 1-30.
New method of calculating age groups
This week’s vaccination report uses a new method to calculate age. In the previous reports, age was calculated by subtracting the birth year from the year 2020. As of this report, it will be calculated by subtracting the birth year from 2021. The calculations have to be based on full calendar years, because the date of birth is not available in the dataset used during analysis. For example, the age group that is primarily vaccinated by the GP, which we referred to as “people aged 60-64 years” until last week, has aged more than half a year since the beginning of this year. In this report, this age group is now referred to as people born in 1956-1960, aged 61-65 years.
* Turnout for at least 1 vaccination and vaccination coverage involving full vaccination are based on anonymously registered vaccinations administered by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs), supplemented by an estimated number of vaccinations administered by GPs and other vaccinators. Vaccinations by GPs and other vaccinators are only registered in the national records if the vaccinated person gives permission for their personal data to be registered, so these estimates are lower than the actual turnout and vaccination coverage. The estimated 66% coverage for full COVID-19 vaccination is most likely also underestimated, since people who received only one vaccination due to a previous COVID-19 infection cannot be counted as “fully vaccinated” at this time. Once the necessary data becomes available to RIVM, this figure will be updated.