Advice issued by the Health Council of the Netherlands states that the Dutch government should use the recently approved Janssen vaccine for people belonging to the most vulnerable groups, namely those over the age of 60 or with pre-existing medical conditions, such as Down syndrome or severe obesity.
Now that the vaccine has been approved by the European Commission, the Dutch government and Health Council are looking into how it can be used as part of the national vaccination plan. The Council feels that the jab is safe and effective enough to be used for the most vulnerable members of society, before being rolled out on a larger scale.
“This approach prevents most serious illness and death caused by COVID-19,” the council wrote, “The vaccine protects 66 percent against disease and 85 percent against serious illness, and it is sufficiently safe: the only side effects that have been found disappear within two days.”
The Janssen vaccine was developed in Leiden and was approved by the European Medicines Agency last week. The so-called Dutch vaccine may “only” be 66 percent effective, but unlike the other vaccines already in use in the EU it requires only one jab and is significantly easier to transport and store.
The Netherlands has ordered a total of 11,3 million doses to be delivered in 2021, with three million doses expected in the second quarter. Acting Health Minister Hugo de Jonge has said he expects the first delivered in April.