Children between the ages of five and 11 without pre-existing medical conditions will be invited to receive their first jab against coronavirus from January 18, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has reported.
The Dutch government had already confirmed that children aged five to 11 that weren't considered medically vulnerable would be invited for vaccination before the end of January 2022. Now, the RIVM has confirmed that the invitations will be sent out between January 18 and January 22, with the first appointments taking place before the end of the month.
Those under the age of 12 who choose to be vaccinated will receive the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine, but will receive a slightly smaller dose than their adult counterparts. Separate vaccination centres designed for children will be set up by the GGD over the coming weeks.
Children in this age group with a pre-existing medical condition have already been invited to receive the vaccine. The government is now moving forward with the vaccination programme after meeting its target to invite all those aged 18 and above for their booster shot before mid-January.
According to the government's coronadashboard, 86 percent of the population of the Netherlands are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Only 38 percent of the adult population has received a booster shot.