THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The Dutch government’s independent medical advisory body says that booster shots of coronavirus vaccines should be given “with high priority” to people with seriously compromised immune systems.

The Health Council of the Netherlands also said Tuesday that giving booster shots to the rest of the Dutch population is not currently necessary. But it said preparations should be put in place to give people a booster shot if it becomes clear that vaccines’ effectiveness in preventing serious illness is declining.

The council says that while the protection of some COVID-19 vaccines against infection “has diminished somewhat over time, protection against serious illness has not.”

It concludes that there is “currently hardly any room for improving protection against serious illness and death with a booster.”

The government generally follows the advice of the health council in its coronavirus decision-making.

Some 62% of the Dutch population of 17.5 million people has been fully vaccinated — that amounts to 77% of adults.