Netherlands last country in EU to begin vaccinations

Netherlands last country in EU to begin vaccinations

Healthcare worker Sanna Elkadiri, left, was the first Dutch recipient of a shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine at a mass vaccination center in Veghel, Netherlands, Wednesday Jan. 6, 2021. Nearly two weeks after most other European Union nations, the Netherlands on Wednesday began its COVID-19 vaccination program, with care home staff and frontline workers in hospitals first in line for the shot. (Piroschka van de Wouw/Pool via AP)

(dpa/NAN)

The Netherlands on Wednesday became the last country in the EU to begin vaccinating residents against COVID-19.

A staff member at a care home for the elderly was the first to receive the shot in Veghel in the south-east of the country.

Health workers will be first in line for vaccination in the coming days.

Vaccination centres across the country are not expected to be operational until next week.

The Dutch government brought forward the planned roll-out of the vaccine by several days following severe criticism of the slow start.

Other EU countries began administering the vaccine at the end of last month.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte has admitted mistakes were made and that authorities should have been better prepared for the mass vaccination drive.

Around 280,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine have been sitting unused in the east of the country for the past days.

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