Healthy children aged 5 to 11 can no longer get a corona shot. Children with an increased medical risk will still be offered the vaccine, Health Minister Ernst Kuipers has decided. He thereby adopts the advice of the Health Council.
From 23 February, parents of children without an increased medical risk – without a doctor’s referral – will no longer be able to make an appointment for vaccination, Kuipers writes to the House of Representatives. Appointments scheduled in the meantime, including those after February 23, can continue as usual. This concerns, for example, children who already have an appointment for their second vaccination. “They can just complete the basic series.” They will no longer receive a repeat shot.
Children with an increased medical risk can still continue to be vaccinated. They can also get a repeat shot, even if they have already had corona once.
Since December 2021, all children aged 5 to 11 can receive a corona shot. The Health Council thought that was a good idea at the time because a vaccine can protect against MIS-C. Children who become infected with corona for the first time are at risk of this rare but serious condition.
Most of the children have now had corona. The risk of MIS-C is smaller with the now dominant omikron variant, the Health Council stated in its advice of 10 January. This means that vaccination in young children is of “limited” use.
