Caretaker Minister Dijkstra of Health, Welfare and Sport has made a decision on the organization of the COVID-19 vaccination round next fall.
The aim of the COVID-19 vaccination is to prevent hospitalisation, ICU admission and death from COVID-19. With that in mind, the Health Council advised the minister and subsequently decided to call on the following target groups for a COVID-19 vaccination in the autumn:
- People aged 60 and over
- Medical (high) risk groups
- Healthcare workers with direct patient contact
Effect of vaccination on preventing post-COVID uncertain
The Health Council also assessed whether preventing post-COVID should be a goal of vaccination. According to the Health Council, it is uncertain how effective a COVID-19 vaccination is against preventing post-COVID. This makes it unclear how many post-COVID patients can be prevented with a vaccination. This is partly because the absence of specific risk factors for getting post-COVID would mean that the entire population would have to be vaccinated (continuously). While it is uncertain what this would yield.
Post-COVID patients are not a medical risk group
In addition, the Health Council has concluded that post-COVID patients do not have an increased risk of serious illness and death due to a new COVID-19 infection. They therefore do not see this target group as a medical risk group. According to the Health Council, there is also insufficient scientific evidence that vaccination in post-COVID patients can prevent a worsening of the disease in the event of reinfection. However, the Health Council also sees no reason to advise against a COVID-19 vaccination for post-COVID patients.
Individual reasons
People who do not belong to the target groups that are called up for the autumn round of the COVID-19 vaccination, but who, for example on the advice of a treating physician or because of a vulnerable family member, still want to receive the vaccination, are also eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination. Preparations for the autumn round are now being made. The RIVM will inform society about the implementation later this year.
