Not all of the Netherlands gets a shot against the Mexican flu. Only a number of risk groups are vaccinated. This was decided by Minister Ab Klink of Public Health on the advice of the Health Council.
It concerns about six million people who are vaccinated. It is the same group that has always been offered the annual flu shot. In addition to people over 60, these are people who are at greater risk due to, for example, a lung disease.
Pregnant women are only vaccinated if they belong to a medical risk group, except in the first three months of pregnancy. The Health Council does not choose to have all pregnant women vaccinated because too little is known about the side effects.
Healthcare personnel should also be vaccinated if they work with people who belong to the risk groups. This is to prevent them from spreading the virus themselves among patients. There will also be an injection for family members and carers of people who could become very ill from or could even die from the flu.
Enough for everyone
Klink will soon have access to 34 million vaccines. In principle, all Dutch people can be vaccinated with this twice. Even if that is not necessary now, the minister will eventually keep all vaccines in stock. He does not sell them on to countries that have stocked less.
Elderly
The advice to vaccinate the elderly is somewhat surprising. Reports recently surfaced that seniors may not be able to catch the flu because a similar virus raged several decades ago. People aged 52 or older would therefore already have a kind of defense against this flu.
The Health Council will issue a follow-up recommendation on vaccination next month. Then even more groups may be eligible for vaccination.
