DON’T MISS
IamExpat FairIamExpat Job BoardIamExpat Webinars
Newsletters
EXPAT INFO
CAREER
HOUSING
EDUCATION
LIFESTYLE
EXPAT SERVICES
NEWS & ARTICLES
Home
Expat Info
Dutch news & articles
Dutch government changes strategy in bid to vaccinate 2 million by March
Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy

Dutch government changes strategy in bid to vaccinate 2 million by March

Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy
or
follow us for regular updates:



Related Stories

Coronavirus-proof Christmas events in the Netherlands this winterCoronavirus-proof Christmas events in the Netherlands this winter
Travelling during the coronavirus crisis: What are your rights?Travelling during the coronavirus crisis: What are your rights?
What to look out for when travelling during coronavirusWhat to look out for when travelling during coronavirus
July 2021: 13 things changing in the Netherlands from todayJuly 2021: 13 things changing in the Netherlands from today
Financial support for you and your business during coronavirusFinancial support for you and your business during coronavirus
RIVM warns against fake coronavirus vaccination invitationsRIVM warns against fake coronavirus vaccination invitations
Data leak allows anyone to download fake CoronaCheck certificateData leak allows anyone to download fake CoronaCheck certificate
Three-quarters of expats say coronavirus impacted their mental healthThree-quarters of expats say coronavirus impacted their mental health
For expats of all colours, shapes and sizes

Explore
Expat infoCareerHousingEducationLifestyleExpat servicesNews & articles
About us
IamExpat MediaAdvertisePost a jobContact usSitemap
More IamExpat
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingIamExpat FairsWebinarsNewsletters
Privacy
Terms of usePrivacy policyCookiesAvoiding scams

Never miss a thing!Sign up for expat events, news & offers, delivered once a week.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy


© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
Feb 3, 2021
Victoria Séveno
Victoria grew up in Amsterdam, before moving to the UK to study English and Related Literature at the University of York and completing her NCTJ course at the Press Association in London. She has a love for all things movies, animals, and food. Read more

The cabinet has announced a change to its policy for stocking vaccine doses, in the hope this will allow significantly more people to be immunised against COVID-19 in the coming weeks.

Coronavirus vaccinations in the Netherlands

Over the past week, Health Minister Hugo de Jonge has been facing tough questions and harsh criticism when it comes to the vaccination strategy in the Netherlands, as politicians, medical experts and members of the public question why the country has been so slow to roll out vaccines. So far, there have been around 376.000 vaccinations, equating to approximately 2 percent of the total population. 

But now the cabinet has decided to accelerate vaccinations by reducing the number of doses kept in stock. Up until recently, the Dutch government had a policy which meant that enough vaccines had to be kept in stock to deliver a second dose to everyone who received their first jab, but this was abandoned at the end of January. 

These new changes mean that doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines will only be held for a maximum of five days before being rolled out, with the expectation that more doses will be delivered in time to administer the second jab. The government has already decided to extend the period between the two Pfizer vaccines from three weeks to six weeks, while for AstraZeneca there must be 10 to 12 weeks between the two injections.

Upscaling vaccinations: 2 million jabs a week in March

On Tuesday evening, De Jonge announced that, by the end of February, the Netherlands should have carried out two million injections. Heading into spring, around two million vaccinations will be carried out each week. This will mark a huge difference to the current plan; this week, a total of 250.000 jabs are scheduled to take place. 

Between now and the end of February, the government expects to receive around 900.000 vaccine doses, over 700.000 of which will be the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine. The government hopes to start rolling out the AstraZeneca vaccine over the coming fortnight. 

The Netherlands expects to receive a total of 73,6 million vaccine doses in 2021, 21,9 million of which should arrive by the second quarter of the year. In spite of news that some pharmaceutical companies have had to scale back deliveries, De Jonge remains optimistic that everyone in the Netherlands will be vaccinated by the autumn.

By Victoria Séveno