Where do these figures come from?
RIVM delivers data on the number of vaccine doses administered. The figures on the total vaccination coverage in the Netherlands are the figures that RIVM provides to the European Center for Disease Control (ECDC).
The figures on vaccination coverage per municipality are available as an open data file.
How are these figures determined?
Vaccine doses administered
The number of doses administered is drawn from data that the municipal health services (GGDs) pass on to RIVM. RIVM records the number of doses administered by GGD vaccination centres, hospitals, healthcare institutions and general practitioners (GPs) in its central COVID Vaccination Information and Monitoring System (CIMS). However, the CIMS data is still incomplete, as GPs and institutions have not yet reported a small proportion of the doses that have been administered to RIVM.
Despite the incomplete data, we want to depict the number of vaccine doses administered and the number of people vaccinated as accurately as possible. To this end, the dashboard shows RIVM’s estimates of the number of vaccine doses administered in healthcare institutions and GP practices, and the number of people vaccinated. The estimates are based on the number of vaccine doses that have been delivered to the locations where injections are given.
The calculated number of doses administered in general practices is currently unchanged, as the RIVM is recalculating this number. Once the calculation is complete, the number of doses administered in general practices will be updated.
Vaccination coverage
So far, RIVM bases its figures on the total national vaccination coverage on the calculated number of doses administered. This is because the reported vaccinations in the registration system CIMS were not complete enough earlier. As the vaccination coverage is partly based on calculations, the actual coverage may be slightly different.
The figures for vaccination coverage by age group and vaccination coverage per municipality come from CIMS. RIVM registers in CIMS how many people have started and how many people have completed the primary course of vaccinations.
A primary course has started when someone has had the first corona vaccination. A primary course is completed when someone has had the last necessary dose. Depending on the type of vaccine, this may be immediately after the first dose (Janssen vaccine), after the second dose (other vaccines) or after a corona infection and one dose (other than Janssen). If someone has had the last necessary dose, this person is fully vaccinated. Persons with a immune disorder are being offered a third dose. For this group, the third dose is part of the primary course of vaccines. These people also receive a booster.
Repeat vaccination against coronavirus
This autumn everyone aged 12 and over will be able to get a repeat vaccination against coronavirus with an updated vaccine. This will help to prevent the spread of th virus.
People in at-risk groups and health and care professionals who work directly with patients or clients have priority. They will be invited from 13 September 2022 to make a vaccination appointment. The municipal health service (GGD) will start administering repeat vaccinations to these groups from 19 September 2022. After this, anyone aged 12 and over can get a repeat vaccination. Repeat vaccination can help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
You can get the jab if it has been at least 3 months since your last vaccination or coronavirus infection. You must have completed your primary vaccination series. A primary series is 2 doses of BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna or Novavax, or 1 dose of the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine.
Repeat vaccination against corona helps prevent spread of coronavirus
Coronavirus spreads more easily in autumn and winter. The more people who get a repeat vaccination, the slower the virus will spread.
Repeat COVID-19 vaccination helps:
• protect against severe illness, hospital admission or death due to COVID-19;
• prevent hospitals from becoming overburdened;
• keep businesses open, including restaurants, cafés and gyms, because fewer people are ill.
Order of priority
From 19 September 2022, repeat vaccinations will first be offered to health and care professionals who work directly with patients or clients, and people who have a higher risk of becoming severely ill from COVID-19. From 13 September they will receive an invitation to make an appointment for repeat vaccination.
People who have a higher risk of severe COVID-19 are:
• People aged 60 and over
• People aged 12 to 59 who are eligible for the annual flu jab
• People living in residential care facilities
• People with Down’s syndrome.
We also show what percentage of all adults (18+) have received a booster jab. The booster turnout for the group aged 12 and older is shown as of 24 March 2022. A very high booster turnout in young people aged 12 to 17 is not a government goal. Young people will be offered a booster jab but the decision to get one is theirs (and/or their parents or guardians).
From 22 March 2022, we also show the number of repeat corona jabs. Repeat jabs are offered to groups of people (over-60's, people with a severe immune disorder, people with Down syndrome and people in care homes).
If the vaccination coverage is very high or very low in a certain population group, this can be traced back to individuals. For reasons of privacy, the dashboard in those cases therefore shows 'more than 95%' or 'less than 5%' instead of an exact percentage.
Vaccination coverage by age group and per municipality and number of fully vaccinated people actually higher
The vaccination coverage by age group and per municipality is in reality higher than shown on the dashboard. The reason for this is that CIMS only lists the vaccinations given to people who have given permission to register their vaccination.
Waiting time after last vaccine dose
The dashboard counts someone as having had the primary course of corona jabs immediately after the last vaccine dose was administered. The dashboard therefore does not take into account the waiting time after the last dose. In the Netherlands, there is a waiting period of four weeks for the Janssen vaccine and a waiting period of two weeks for other vaccines. Only then does the vaccination provide sufficient protection against COVID-19 and does it count as a valid corona certificate.
Changes in the figures
New calculation method RIVM
As of 19 January 2021 RIVM publishes a weekly update on the vaccination figures of the Dutch population. These vaccination figures were previously based on the number of vaccinations that the Dutch Public Health Service (GGD) has registered in the CoronIT registration system. These CoronIT figures were supplemented by the number of vaccines that have been delivered to general practitioners, hospitals and institutions (i.e. other than the GGD).
Until 24 May 2022, the vaccination coverage based on these supplied vaccines had to be estimated up to a degree. That's because the registrations in CoronIT weren't fully complete. RIVM is now able to better calculate the vaccination data. This new method uses the national COVID vaccination Information and Monitoring System (CIMS) as a basis for the vaccination figures. RIVM supplements the registered vaccinations in CIMS with the GGD vaccination data. The figures coming from other parties than the GGD (like hospitals) are supplemented and calculated on the basis of the GGD data. In addition, we take into account that one vaccination after a corona infection also counts as having completed the primary series of corona jabs.
In addition, RIVM now uses more up-to-date population figures. Until 24 May 2022, RIVM worked with the population figures of 1 January 2020, this being consistent with how the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) uses population figures. The population figures are now updated quarterly by RIVM. Also, RIVM substracts vaccinated people who have died or emigrated. As a result, the vaccination rate of the Dutch population had to be slightly adjusted downward.
The main causes for the downward adjustment are that deceased and emigrated persons are no longer added to the figures, and that the population data are updated more frequently. The new calculation method, which no longer uses estimates based on vaccinations supplied to hospitals, institutions and general practitioners, contributes less to the downward adjustment.
RIVM's calculation method with regard to population figures has consequences for the graph 'Vaccinations over time'. This graph shows the number of vaccinations in the past. Because RIVM is adjusting the figures retroactively, as of 1 January 2020, the new RIVM vaccination figures deviate from the figures shown in the graph. Therefore, the chart is currently not being updated.
Update vaccination data July 2022
Every quarter, RIVM uses the latest population data for vaccination figures. For the figures of mid-July 2022, the current population data of July 2022 were used. The age groups have also been adjusted and the calculation of age has been adjusted to 2022 minus year of birth. These adjustments cause slightly lower vaccination rates. The vaccination coverage of the basic series will decrease by 1% as a result of the adjustments.
Correction number of fully vaccinated people
From November 11, 2021, people who have had corona and one vaccine dose count as having completed the primary course of corona jabs in the 'Vaccinated people' graph. Until this date, they counted among not having completed the primary course.
Vaccination coverage
People who have had one shot after having had corona will also count as having completed the primary course from 22 September 2021 in the figures per municipality and per age group. As a result, these numbers have increased. In addition, a number of Janssen vaccinations that had been counted too much were removed from the data on the same date. As a result, the vaccination rate per age group has decreased somewhat.
Improved data
The GGD has removed appointments that were cancelled or that did not result in vaccination from its data set. It has also corrected the data for people who received doses of two different vaccines. Around 160,000 doses have been removed from the data set. The improved data set includes the data up to and including 8 August 2021. The figures on the dashboard were updated on 10 August 2021.
Administred vaccine doses
From 11 November 2021, it will no longer be possible to estimate how many vaccines have been administered for a first or second vaccination for vaccinations administered by providers other than the GGD (for example, institutions or hospitals). The reason for this is that the estimate of the number of administered first and second shots is based on the number of vaccines applied. With the spread vaccines, no distinction is made between the vaccines for the first and second shots and the vaccines used for the booster shot. It is therefore assumed that no more first and second shots will be administered by other providers as of 11 November 2021.