This morning the European Medicines Agency approved the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Later today the advice of the EMA was followed by the European Commission, which means the vaccine will be brought on European markets. The approval of the vaccine will have consequences for the Dutch Caribbean islands as well.

From 11 January 2021, the vaccination campaign will start in the Netherlands. Earlier, the Dutch government already announced that a share of the vaccines the Netherlands ordered, will be destined for the Dutch Caribbean islands. However, it is not yet known when the vaccine will be available in the Dutch Caribbean. On the long term, there will be enough vaccines to vaccinate all adults in the Dutch Caribbean.

It is expected that the Islands will follow the Dutch procedure of vaccinating. The first group to receive a vaccine are all employees in critical health care, specifically employees working in nursing homes and disabled care. The Netherlands will receive approximately 500.000 Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines in 2020.