This is what the Dutch Marlis Karmann says. I rode the car last week to get a vaccine in France, and I found that very exciting. Because they would really give her a chance? Free and without charge? Without annoying discussions? The tension while driving from Utrecht to Worms was ultimately for no reason: Karmann, 49, ended up in a warm bath when she arrived at the French vaccination site.

‘We went in, I stammered a little in French, and the lady behind the table said kindly, ‘Oh, you must be Dutch?’ “From that moment on, I knew everything would be fine.”

Booster campaign is too slow

Despite the fact that Hugo de Jonge announced last week that the booster campaign in the Netherlands would be catching up – before January 1, all people over 60 should get a booster dose, and people under 60 are set to get a booster shot. January – This won’t happen quickly to many Dutch people like Karman… Enough. “If it’s up to the Netherlands, with a bit of luck I’ll get a third chance in February. That means I’ll still have to go through the winter without complete protection. It’s just not possible for me and my family.”

Karmann has cystic fibrosis, cystic fibrosis that is not placed in an at-risk group in the Netherlands, but where infection with the coronavirus can still be very serious. During the first corona period, she was in quarantine with her husband and two sons for several months. “We were relieved after the two vaccinations, but recently my fears have increased again: a new virus variant is spinning like crazy, the pressure on care is growing and the booster campaign hasn’t started. Plus, my 16-year-old has already stopped going to school, motivated Protection for me. That was the last straw for me: something had to be done.”

I hope others read this.

After some advice from people who successfully preceded Karman abroad, I decided to make an appointment in France. It has succeeded. “It was so simple, now that I’ve got that third shot, I feel better protected again. I hope others in the same situation will read this. There are so many distressing situations: people self-isolating again, kids staying home. This is no longer possible, they must be helped, so there is a solution outside.”

Not only in France, a third chance is now given in Dutch arms. The Dutch also line up in Germany for a booster potion, like Kurt Ullmann. Yesterday he drove from Eindhoven to Alsdorf in Germany. “We are over 60, but we weren’t quite sure that we would get another booster shot in the Netherlands this year at this rate. As the protection of previous vaccinations decreases due to our age, we wanted to be well protected. Especially with the different variants of the virus. The crown that is now circulating. Fortunately, we were able to get this protection elsewhere and seized this opportunity with both hands.”

No one was difficult

Did Ullmann get crooked faces from the Germans in class? “No, nobody. Nobody made a fuss, even though I was the first Dutchman there. I am very happy that we are one in Europe, and it is possible.”

Trudy, 64, also flew to Germany with her husband yesterday. They received the third shot in Aachen without discussion and completely free of charge. “After driving 159 km, we were greeted very nicely at the vaccination site. We first received a poster in our yellow vaccination brochure, and then were allowed to sit down. We sat for another fifteen minutes to see if everything went well, and we received yesterday evening An email with all the vaccination details and with this we can get the German QR code.”

‘I am very satisfied’

Since Trudi and her husband were given AstraZeneca the first two times, they no longer felt safe. “In the Netherlands it was December, but no one believes in it anymore at this pace. I am very happy and relieved that I have now taken the shot in Germany.”

The national government has announced on its website that it is currently not possible to register a foreign booster dose in the Dutch CoronaCheck app. A solution to this is being worked on.

Public Health: ‘We do not stop anyone’

According to the Dutch Ministry of Health, people are free to travel abroad. “Everyone should do whatever they want, we don’t stop anyone at the border, but we say: You shouldn’t take a booster too soon. That’s why we ideally do it in the seventh month after you’ve got your last shot. Before, The process is not optimal.”

“It’s also the fastest certification to get your digital corona certificate if you’ve simply been vaccinated for a GGD,” a spokesperson says. “Then the reinforcer is properly registered immediately.”

As of today, people born in 1945 in the Netherlands are invited to receive a booster dose. In the short term, GGD will expand up to 750,000 vaccines per week.