The Health Council of the Netherlands has issued new advice, stating that the second AstraZeneca jab - which currently takes place after 12 weeks - can be brought forward by up to eight weeks.
Not too long ago, health experts raised concerns about the dates of second jabs, as they were worried people would reschedule their vaccinations in order to go on holiday over the summer. Experts argued that there should be more flexibility when it came to the date of the second injection.
And it seems the Health Council and the Dutch government agrees. For their latest advice, Health Minister Hugo de Jonge asked what the “optimal interval” was between the first and second jabs.
Initially, the Health Council had argued that the 12-week interval was necessary in order to ensure there was enough supply to carry out the second jab, to allow for more people to receive their first shot, and to ensure maximum protection against COVID-19.
However, they’ve said the research on which this information was based “has a number of limitations, as a result of which no conclusions can be drawn from the results.” They now advise administering the second jab between four and 12 weeks after the first. It is not yet known whether the Ministry of Health will adjust the vaccination programme and follow the new advice.