Everyone over the age of 12 will soon be invited to make an appointment for another  booster coronavirus vaccination, health minister Ernst Kuipers announced on Friday.

The jab will consist of an updated mRNA vaccine which offers better protection than the current ones, although they first have to be approved by the European Medicines Agency. That process is likely to be completed in early September, Kuipers said.

The first invitations, focusing on people who would be more at risk if they caught coronavirus and medical staff who have direct contact with patients, will be sent out in mid September, Kuipers said.

Everyone else will be able to make an appointment after that, provided it is three months since their last vaccination or infection.

Protection

‘The repeat vaccination is necessary to make sure that protection against serious illness and death is kept topped up,’ Kuipers told MPs in a briefing.

The government’s outbreak management team had recommended a new vaccination round because officials expect a new coronavirus wave in the autumn. Given the likelihood of a rise in infections, the OMT has also recommended that the government re-emphasise the basic rules for keeping infections down, and prepare to bring in new ones.

Kuipers said a broad communication campaign is currently being set up, focusing on the basic advice to stay home with symptoms and take a home test.

The cabinet is also putting the final touches to the long-term approach to dealing with Covid-19, which will include a number of scenarios and different measures, he said. These plans will be presented to the public in September.