Only 44.2 percent of people over 60 have had a second repeat shot against corona, RIVM reported on Tuesday. Minister Ernst Kuipers (Public Health) thinks that number is too low. That is why he is sending another call to people over sixty who have not yet had a second repeat shot, a spokesperson reported to NU.nl.
The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport is investigating the possibility of sending the group an SMS or e-mail when that information is known. That would be faster, because letters are not immediately printed.
The Kuipers spokesperson told NU.nl that especially people over sixty will be hospitalized with corona without a booster shot or second repeat shot. People over the age of sixty without a booster or second repeat injection also more often have to deal with serious complaints.
A repeat shot can be obtained three months after the last corona jab or corona infection. In April, 28.5 percent of people over 60 had done this.
The number of positive corona tests at the GGD rose by more than 70 percent last week. An increase can also be seen in the number of IC admissions, according to the weekly figures of the RIVM on Tuesday. The corona figures confirm the suspicion that a new corona wave has started in the Netherlands, a spokesperson told NU.nl.
The ministry will launch a campaign next week that emphasizes what people can do themselves against the spread of the corona virus. This will be published in all national and regional newspapers and door-to-door papers. This is followed by an advertisement aimed at the importance of getting the recommended injections.