ANP Productions | Bron: ANP
Utrecht
If the elderly are concerned about the coronavirus now that the number of hospital admissions is increasing, it is best to contact their GP. He can, for example, see if people can get a new repeat shot. That says the ANBO elderly association. “If you feel that your protection against the virus has deteriorated a bit six months after your last shot, go to your GP. He is an expert, who can assess this. With a referral, someone can always get a vaccination. Anything is possible individually, you don’t need a national guideline.”
Hospitals are currently treating more than 900 people who have the corona virus, the highest number since mid-October. The vast majority of people who now end up in hospital because of corona complaints are between 70 and 89 years old. Because of their fragile health, the elderly were given priority for the repeat injection, they were the first to receive it in September.
It is not entirely clear how the elderly have become infected. Carnival and winter sports may have been ‘spreaders’ of the virus in recent weeks, but the elderly are less likely than young people to go snowboarding off the slopes or hustling in the polonaise. “It remains speculative, but the most logical explanation is that people in their area did participate and then visited. Maybe they didn’t even realize they were infected. Maybe they were just a little bit snotty. If you don’t notice that and don’t do a test, and you go to visit your grandmother, it is possible that she will also become infected and that she will suffer from it,” said an ANBO spokesperson.
No anxiety
The so-called Outbreak Management Team Vaccination (OMT-V) advised last week that a new round of repeat vaccinations is not necessary this spring. The ANBO does not question that advice. “We follow what the experts advise. The experts are in the OMT and the cabinet, they know whether or not a vaccination round is necessary. We are not a doctor or a virologist, it is difficult for us to say anything about that.”
The professional organization for nurses and carers, NU’91, currently hears “no concern” from the rank and file. According to a spokesperson, alertness is still required, “but that’s it at the moment”. NU’91 also maintains that it is important that healthcare professionals always have access to protective equipment “if they deem it necessary”. At the start of the pandemic, there were shortages of such resources, such as decent face masks. The OMT recently advised that no specific vaccination round for healthcare workers is necessary for the time being. As far as NU’91 is concerned, that is a “logical development”.