GPs and institutions that have leftover vaccines can report this to prullenbakvaccin.nl, a website that went live today. People who would like to be vaccinated but not yet have their turn can be helped anyway. GPs also do not have to throw away vaccines, say the initiators. Incidentally, it concerns very limited numbers of vaccines that remain after a bottle has been opened.
On the website there is a special map on which people can search for an available vaccine within 20 kilometers of their place of residence. The site then shows the contact details of the GP practice or institution where they can go.
The website is an initiative of doctors who cannot tolerate the disposal of vaccines. “A week or so ago, GP Marco Blanker posted that he had to throw vaccines in the trash”, Marlies Schijven, surgeon at the Amsterdam UMC, writes on social media. “A lot of people indicated that they found that terrible.” Together with a GP in training Bernard Leenstra and software developer Anees Saban, they set up the website prullenbakvaccin.nl in a weekend.
“If I don’t have to throw away any vaccines because of this, that would be great”, Leenstra told the NOS. “I’ve seen terribly sick people here and it just hurts when you have to throw off vaccines.” The initiative is well received on social media. Leenstra: “I am very happy with that, I see the positive reactions getting out of hand in between office hours.”
Residual vaccines
Guidelines have been drawn up for residual vaccines, but they have not always been clear. GGDs and GP practices have drawn their own conclusions in recent months, whether or not according to the guidelines. “At least those guidelines are now somewhat clearer,” says Leenstra. “About the AstraZeneca vaccine, the KNMG now says that it may be given to under 60s under strict condition that it concerns spillage and someone consciously chooses it after good information. “
That should go without saying, according to Leenstra. “I think it is ridiculous to refuse 60-year-olds that vaccine. It is precisely my job to provide good information about the extremely rare side effects. All that uncertainty and unrest should not have been necessary.”
On the first day the site is up and running, there are only a few GP practices left on the map. “Do not expect that there will be a lot of vaccines on the first day right now,” says surgeon Schijven in her post. “But we expect that many general practitioners will participate very soon, because it is just allowed. And then as few good vaccines as possible disappear in the trash.”
Ministry: ‘Not a sensible idea’
“This idea seems sympathetic, but it is not a sensible one,” the Health Ministry said of the initiative. “The vaccines are from the RIVM, they determine the distribution. This is not up to others.” Doctors who have leftover vaccines can have this redistributed via ‘vaccination brokers’ of the RIVM. “RIVM brokers follow the national strategy: the most vulnerable and the elderly first. This initiative does not.” The ministry also points out that few vaccines remain and that there is still scarcity.
This initiative is not intended for that group of vulnerable people, “responds Marco Blanker, one of the initiators.” We use up leftovers, they are always there and they cannot be named after the group named by the ministry. What we do does not conflict, but rather supports the policy of the ministry. In the sense that we want to prevent even one syringe from being thrown away. So we will continue. “
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