Health minister Hugo de Jonge will give more details about the government’s vaccination programme next week, given that the European Medicines Agency is likely to approve the Biontech/Pfizer vaccine next Monday.

De Jonge told MPs on Tuesday the approval of the vaccine, a week ahead of schedule, does not necessarily mean the Netherlands will be able to start vaccinating people earlier. The European Commission will then have to give the green light and the manufacturers will have to deliver the vaccine, he said.

In addition, he said, the Dutch health council will have to publish its recommendations about which population groups the vaccine is best suited to.

De Jonge said two weeks ago that the Netherlands hoped to start vaccinating people on January 4.