Coronavirus vaccine

Lower risk of hospital and ICU admission

If you have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus, you are less likely to be admitted to hospital with COVID-19 than an unvaccinated person. You are also less likely to be admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) with COVID-19. Up-to-date information about the protection offered by coronavirus vaccines against hospital and ICU admission is available (in Dutch) on the website of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM).

Less infectious after coronavirus vaccination

You can still get COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated, but you will be less infectious than an unvaccinated person. There will still be infectious virus particles in your body, but the overall viral load is usually much lower. Up-to-date information about the protection offered by coronavirus vaccines against hospital and ICU admission is available (in Dutch) on the website of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM).

Safety of coronavirus vaccines

The safety of coronavirus vaccines comes first. Like all vaccines, they must meet strict conditions before they are authorised for use in the Netherlands. If there are any doubts about their safety, they will not be approved. There are also strict rules on side effects. The advantages of vaccination (effectiveness) must be greater than the disadvantages (possible side effects).

Side effects

The coronavirus vaccines have been tested on tens of thousands of people. Some people experience some flu-like symptoms, such as a raised temperature, fever, muscle pain or a headache. This is common with vaccines against other diseases, too. These side effects mean that your body’s immune system has been activated. Side effects usually occur within 2 weeks. It’s possible that unknown side effects might occur after vaccination against COVID-19. But the chance of this is very small. If you experience unknown side effects or you are worried, contact your family doctor.

Reporting side effects to Lareb

Lareb is the organisation in the Netherlands that gathers, registers and investigates possible side effects. If you experience side effects, you can report them on Mijnbijwerking.nl (in Dutch). The Medicines Evaluation Board (CBG) (in Dutch) assesses whether a vaccine is effective and safe. If necessary it takes measures to protect public health.