Dutch may not be ready for COVID-19 vaccinations in December-officials

The Netherlands cannot yet say whether it will be among the first EU countries ready to start with COVID-19 vaccinations in December, several health officials said on Thursday.

The Netherlands cannot yet say whether it will be among the first EU countries ready to start with COVID-19 vaccinations in December, several health officials said on Thursday. EU commission head Ursula von der Leyen said earlier on Thursday that European Union countries would begin inoculating people against the new coronavirus just after Christmas, assuming the EU regulator approves a vaccine.

"On 27, 28 and 29 December vaccination will start across the EU," von der Leyen wrote on Twitter. But the Dutch downplayed chances they would be ready this month.

"We have always said we were on track to start vaccinations in January," said spokeswoman Sonja Kloppenburg of the Dutch municipal health authorities (GGD). "And that remains the case." "We will start when we feel it is safe to do so."

Dutch health minister, Hugo de Jonge, on Wednesday said "a lot" still had to happen before vaccines could be administered. Harald Wychgel, a spokesman for the National Institute for Health (RIVM), which will oversee the vaccine rollout, told Reuters its plan is still under development and will be released Monday.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said an expert panel will convene, also Monday, to evaluate the vaccine made by U.S. company Pfizer and German partner BioNTech. The largest bottleneck, De Jonge said in a parliamentary debate, was finalising the IT systems needed for requesting a vaccine and registering dispensation of the shots, as this required specific information on their working and possible side effects which would only become available after the EMA's approval.