Contracts that the EU - and consequently the Netherlands - had signed with pharmaceutical companies meant the country expected to receive 4,3 million vaccine doses in the first three months of 2021. However, production issues and delays meant the Netherlands only received around 3,4 million doses.
The first vaccine deliveries came from Pfizer / BioNTech, and arrived at the end of 2020. Taking that first batch into consideration, the Netherlands expected to have received a total of 4,5 million doses by now. However, figures from the National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM) show the country has received approximately 3,6 million doses.
Delays with the AstraZeneca vaccine - now known as Vaxzevria - resulted in the most significant shortages. The British-Swedish pharmaceutical company had promised to deliver 1,5 million doses in the first quarter of this year. In reality though, fewer than 900.000 doses were received.
Moderna is also guilty of overpromising - or perhaps underdelivering. The American company had said their “indicative supply schedule” suggested they should be able to deliver 400.000 doses, but only around 240.000 have been received so far. In addition to this, Pfizer promised 2,6 million doses, slightly more than the 2,5 million that have been received since the first delivery in December.
The Dutch government remains optimistic about the future of coronavirus vaccination in the Netherlands, and is hopeful that the scheduled deliveries will take place as promised. The Netherlands is currently expecting to receive nearly 17 million doses between April and June, with the first delivery from Janssen expected in the second half of this month. A fifth vaccine from Novamax is also likely to be approved by the EMA over the coming months.
So far, approximately three million people in the Netherlands have received at least one jab against coronavirus. According to the government’s vaccination targets, four million vaccinations should take place by the end of April.