Young people in medical high-risk groups who are living at home will receive an invitation for COVID-19 vaccination starting today. This involves people born in 2003, 2004 and 2005. They can make an appointment for vaccination by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs). Young people with neurological disorders who cannot travel to the GGD will be vaccinated at home via a mobile vaccination team. In total, this involves about 2,500 young people. They will receive the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Young people in this group living in residential institutions already received their first vaccination in the past few weeks.
These young people are included in the medical high-risk group that the Health Council has defined for adults. They have a higher risk of severe illness due to the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. This applies to young people living at home who have:
- a seriously impaired immune system (patients with haematological malignancies, transplants, kidney failure, very severe primary immunodeficiency);
- a neurological disorder accompanied by respiratory impairment.
The selection is made by medical specialists in hospitals and, for neurological patients, additionally via the centres that support artificial respiration at home. The letters are also sent via these routes. The young people will receive a code that they can use to schedule an appointment at the GGD. Young people with Down’s syndrome or morbid obesity who are also in the medical high-risk groups were invited previously via their GP.
Schedule for the vaccination campaign
The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) determines the order in which groups are vaccinated. The advisory reports of the Health Council of the Netherlands are used as guidance. The start date for vaccination of the various target groups depends on vaccine availability. For the latest order of vaccination, please visit Government.nl.