People aged 60 to 69 years (and people who turn 60 this year) will also have the opportunity to make an appointment for an extra COVID-19 vaccination. Minister Kuipers decided this based on advice from the Health Council of the Netherlands. The repeat vaccination was already offered to people aged 70 years and older, people living in nursing homes, adults with Down’s syndrome and adults with severely impaired immunity.
The number of infections and hospital admissions due to the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is increasing in people between the ages of 60 and 69 years. In addition, the protection offered by the booster vaccination is slowly waning. For that reason, a repeat vaccination can now be administered as a precaution.
A repeat vaccination against COVID-19 (also referred to as a second booster vaccination) is an extra dose of vaccine administered 3 months after the last vaccination or SARS-CoV-2 infection. A repeat vaccination improves the effect of previous vaccination(s) and restores protection against serious illness and hospital admission.
The Health Council does not recommend repeat vaccination for people under 60 years. For the time being, this group still has effective protection against serious illness due to COVID-19.
Invitations and start of vaccinations
People aged 60 to 69 years are eligible for the repeat vaccination three months after the last vaccination or SARS-CoV-2 infection. As of 26 March, they can make an appointment online for vaccination by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs). From 30 March on, the first invitation letters will start arriving; from then on, appointments can also be made by telephone.