The Netherlands is beginning its vaccination programme nearly two weeks after the first jabs began in the EU on December 27, and almost a month behind Britain, AFP reported.

The Dutch government faced withering criticism in a debate in parliament on Tuesday over the debacle, with MPs livid that the vaccines had been sitting in freezers for two weeks.

“I am really disappointed that we are doing this two weeks after other countries,” Prime Minister Mark Rutte told MPs.

Health Minister Hugo de Jonge meanwhile admitted that the government had not been sufficiently “agile” in rolling out the vaccine.

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