I want to know more about the repeat vaccination against coronavirus

Did you not get a repeat vaccination after September 18, 2022? Then you can still get a vaccination. For the time being, the GGDs keep a basic stock of vaccines available for people who have not yet had a repeat vaccination (from the autumn round). Vaccines also remain available for some people at high medical risk who need an extra repeat vaccination for additional protection. They receive a referral from their medical specialist.

The current vaccin offers better protection against more variants of COVID-19. It gives a boost to the immune system. If you have recently had COVID-19, the repeat vaccination will not make a difference. You have already produced antibodies. For most people it will be a personal decision. Do you want to know whether a repeat injection is a good choice for you? Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

A new wave of the COVID-19 virus was expected in the fall of 2022. At the moment, most people have built up sufficient protection through vaccinations and/or infections so a new vaccination round is not recommend in the spring of 2023.

To some patients a repeat vaccination could give extra protection. A medical specialist could advice whether a new vaccination is recommeded, given the personal medical situation of a patient.

The cabinet is taking into account an injection round this autumn. Whether that round is necessary to better protect people against becoming seriously ill depends on how the virus develops. That cannot be said at the moment. The Gezondheidsraad is expected to advise on the long-term vaccination strategy against COVID-19 in the summer of 2023.

We don't know yet which new vaccins are necessary for COVID-19 in the long term. The Gezondheidsraad is expected to issue advice on long-term vaccination against COVID-19 before the summer of 2023. RIVM continues to monitor the epidemiological situation and the development of the coronavirus through the COVID-19 Response Team. If, for example, the virus becomes more pathogenic, an OMT-V meets to advise whether a repeat round of injections is necessary.

We are currently looking how many locations should remain open. GGDs will look into regional accessibility and availability. Check at prikken zonder afspraak which GGD locations are open for a repeat injection without an appointment.

No, that's not necessary. You are sufficiently protected. Even if you received the repeat vaccination more than 3 months ago. The developments of the coronavirus are closely monitored. Among others by experts from the RIVM and the GGD. They meet every two weeks. Every week the experts provide information about the developments of the coronavirus . If necessary, an OMT-V can meet to advise on a new cycle of vaccination. This is not the case now. Therefore, at the GGD locations, you cannot get another repeat vaccination with the updated vaccine.

Since September 18, 2022, the repeat vaccination has been given with an updated mRNA vaccine. This renewed vaccine protects against the original Wuhan variant and against the omikron variant.

Two updated vaccins are available in The Netherlands:

• One vaccine against the BA.1 strain (Moderna or BioNTech/Pfizer) of the omikron variant.
• One vaccine against the BA.4/5 strain (BioNTech/Pfizer) of the omikron variant.

Research shows that both vaccines work well against serious illness from a COVID-19 infection. Until April 17, 2023, the BA.1 vaccine was used for the repeat vaccination. BA.4/5 vaccine is currently being used at all vaccination sites.

The Governmental advisory board on vaccination has not expressed a preference for the renewed vaccine with omikron BA.4/5 over omikron BA.1. Both vaccines are available in the Netherlands. The availability of renewed BA.1 vaccines is too small to carry out a new round of vaccinations in the autumn entirely with these vaccines. These vaccines expire in October 2023. Because it is not clear yet exactly whether and when a new vaccination round will take place, the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport has decided to switch to BA.4/5 vaccines for the repeat vaccination. The BA.1 vaccines that the Netherlands still has in stock can then be donated as soon as possible. This will hopefully mean fewer vaccines need to be destroyed. For the first round of vaccinations, the original vaccines remain the standard for the time being.

You do not need a COVID certificate to travel within the European Union. And therefore you don’t need a repeat vaccination. Different requirements may apply for countries outside Europe.

In some cases, you need a vaccination certificate , a negative test result , or proof that you have recovered from coronavirus . Therefore always check netherlandsworldwide.nl before departure.