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NOS News•today, 07:05
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This autumn, everyone from 12 years old can get a repeat shot against the corona virus, Minister Kuipers of Public Health said announced yesterday. Some frequently asked questions.
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Why is this new round of vaccinations necessary?
Minister Kuipers writes to the House of Representatives that he mainly listened to the advice of the OMT-V. This group of experts comes under the Center for Infectious Disease Control, led by Jaap van Dissel, and advises the cabinet on vaccinations. In advice the experts write that they expect a new wave of infection this fall. This takes into account possible new variants of the coronavirus, the seasonal effect (with colder weather we spend more time indoors, making it easier to infect each other) and the decreased effectiveness of previous corona shots.
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For people over 60 and vulnerable people, a new vaccination leads to a smaller chance of becoming seriously ill or dying. Vaccinating people over the age of 12 should primarily ensure that not too many people become ill at the same time, so that too few staff are available to keep education or the economy running, for example.
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Last year, the booster campaign was only started in the autumn, when the number of infections and hospital admissions was already rising rapidly. Vaccinologist Ben van der Zeijst is not surprised that the cabinet intervenes earlier this year. “If you don’t have the plans ready now, you won’t be ready to administer the vaccines in September.” According to him, in recent years the cabinet has too often lagged behind the facts and assumed the most favorable scenario. “Now they are on time and are considering multiple scenarios.”
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Epidemiologist Alma Tostmann of Radboudumc in Nijmegen also thinks it is a logical decision. “If the vaccination campaign had started faster last winter, it could have saved us a lot of misery.”
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What will the vaccination campaign look like?
From the second half of September, the first shots will go to people over 60 and people under 60 who are eligible for the flu shot every year. Healthcare workers who have contact with patients are also invited in this first round. Depending on the situation, these shots are administered at the vaccination locations of the GGD, by mobile GGD vaccination teams or by the own medical service in healthcare institutions.
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After this group, it is the turn of all other 12-year-olds. An important difference with the previous vaccination rounds is that everyone is invited at the same time and not by year of birth.
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Most vaccinations are at the 84 fixed injection locations of the GGD. “They are spread throughout the Netherlands. From the RAI in Amsterdam, to the Brabanthallen in Den Bosch and the ski hall in Terneuzen,” says Ernst Moeksis of GGD GHOR.
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Are there enough jabs and sticks available?
The GGDs expect to be able to administer 700,000 injections per week from 12 September. This requires 3600 pickers, 2500 call center employees and 3600 administrative staff. With the current staff shortage, that is of course a challenge, says Moeksis. “However, our 25 regional GGDs have contacted the recruitment agencies in their area early on and they have pledged to provide these people.”
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How long it will take to vaccinate everyone who wants to do so, of course, depends on the willingness to vaccinate. GGD GHOR expects that 80 percent of the over-60s want a shot. They expect a turnout of 30 to 50 percent among 12- to 59-year-olds. Together that would amount to 9 to 13 million vaccines. With the injection rate that the GGDs have in mind, this would take 12 to 22 weeks.
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So far, 80.9 percent of the over 12s have received their first basic vaccinations and 59.2 percent have also been boosted, the report says. coronadashboard of the national government.
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According to epidemiologist Tostmann, it is also useful for people who have not yet received a corona jab to be vaccinated. “It takes the hard edge off the complaints for everyone. In addition, you reduce the chance that you contract lung covid.”
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Do these booster shots also protect against the new corona variants?
The intention is to use modified vaccines in this autumn round. Moderna and BioNTech/Pfizer have developed vaccines that protect against both the original Wuhan coronavirus and the newer omikron variants.
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These so-called bivalent vaccines offer broad protection against corona, according to vaccinologist Van der Zeijst. “Not only against the virus strains for which they were designed, but also against other variants. That is beneficial, because there is a good chance that the vaccines will also work against variants that appear in the near future.” He assumes that the bivalent vaccines also protect against variant BA.2.75, also called centaurus, which was released in July. for the first time in the Netherlands showed up.
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Minister Kuipers expects the European Medicines Agency to approve the new vaccines in September, just in time for the vaccination round. If that becomes much later, the current vaccines may still be used.
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Will this round of vaccinations help against a winter of overcrowded hospitals and lockdowns?
Epidemiologist Tostmann thinks it will certainly have an effect, especially for vulnerable groups who have much less chance of serious illness or hospitalization after a new shot. “But for this it is also important that a campaign is held about the usefulness of this new round of vaccinations. More information is also needed about ventilation, testing in case of complaints and staying home in case of infection. Because only the vaccines are really not enough.”
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Van der Zeijst is especially optimistic if the new vaccines can be used. “They not only protect against serious illness or death, but can also significantly reduce the circulation of the virus.”
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Whether it will be enough to keep the pressure on hospitals manageable next winter remains to be seen. Tostmann does not rule out the fact that mouth caps or working from home are still necessary. “These are relatively light measures, which hopefully can prevent the heaviest measure of the lockdown being necessary. It is therefore smart if the cabinet does not wait too long again with measures if necessary.”
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