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In October 2020, a confidential memo was sent within the Ministry of Health about the state of affairs regarding the purchase of corona vaccines.
EU countries were allocated a certain number of vaccines in proportion to their population size in relation to the total EU population. Although the member states are obliged to decrease their 'pro rata', there are European member states that want to take fewer doses, the memo states.
The European Commission has asked a number of large member states - including the Netherlands, Germany and Sweden - to buy up any surplus of vaccines, because otherwise the contracts with the vaccine makers will have to be broken open and renegotiated. For the Netherlands, it is obvious that this should be done at Janssen, as it is developed and produced in the Netherlands, can be read in the memo.
In that context, we propose to buy more doses of Janssen's vaccine than our 'pro rata'. This would involve a maximum of 7.8 million extra doses (on top of the 7.8 million of the pro rata), according to the ministry. Price tag: 56 million euros.
On 9 June last year, the NOS reported that corona minister Hugo de Jonge expected that there would be a surplus of Janssen in two weeks. That can then be used by people who want it themselves. However, it still has to be determined exactly how it should work. “There is a lot involved, you should not underestimate that,” said the minister.
Shortly before that, the Janssen vaccine was removed from the vaccination program on the advice of the Health Council because it can cause serious thrombosis in combination with a low platelet count as a side effect.
buy up any surplus of vaccines, because otherwise the contracts with the vaccine makers will have to be broken open and renegotiated.