Vaccination target in sight, but still looking for additional employees | Inland

Although the pace is increasing, our country just missed the target number of injections last week: 811,457 instead of 815,056. The Ministry of Health cannot give a clear reason for this.

“For example, if it had been due to the May holiday, we should have seen a greater effect,” said a spokeswoman. In terms of percentage administered doses in proportion to the total population (37.7), we are still unchanged in the gray European middle bracket. Our southern neighbors, for example, are too quick for us, by almost 40 percent.

Million

This has to change in the coming weeks due to larger deliveries. About a million injections have to be taken next week. With 126,259 vaccinations on the first day, we are still behind schedule, although that is a day record. But acceleration is needed to reach the target number of approximately 18 million injections at the beginning of July.

The good news is that deliveries are more likely to be higher. It is now expected that our country will receive 18.55 million doses in the second quarter, compared to 16.7 million in mid-April. This is entirely due to Pfizer, which is now counted on 9.85 million doses instead of 8 million.

defence

The GGDs have to administer most of this. From June, they will inject 1.5 million weekly injections. They are also preparing to have 2 million weekly vaccinations. But for that they need more staff. On the basis of the current number of 7,000 FTEs deployed, this is roughly another 6,000 FTEs (people). According to the GGD, 2,000 of them can already be deployed on the basis of flexible agreements and 1,000 with the Defense lancing device.

In particular, 1000 medical supervisors are needed, who keep an eye on people after the injection and check whether everything is going well, says Nicolette Rigter, GGD director of the National Corona program. The remaining 2,000 FTEs will be supplemented by, among other things, increasing the hours of the existing staff and other recruitment.

To this end, the organization launched an online campaign this week, asking retired general practitioners for help, for example. Acting GPs are also required in the regions themselves. The GGD wants to obtain stimulants via universities and higher professional education institutions with medical students and via the Red Cross and employment agencies.

And while things seem to be getting tight, Rigter is optimistic. “It’s an effort, but I don’t expect a huge problem.”

Next week, the organization will inject about 800,000 injections. The capacity has been scaled up by about 20 percent above that, so that some puncture streets remain empty. Rigter: “We do this so that we can be sure that the injections can really be administered as soon as we receive additional deliveries.”

People aged between 18 and 60 with a medical indication who now make an appointment will be guaranteed their turn within three weeks, says director of public health Sjaak De Gouw. “At the beginning of next week invitations will be sent to people from the year of birth 1963.”

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