The centre is engaged in infectious disease-related threats to public health. The centre carries out research to generate knowledge and data on the immune response to infectious diseases and to vaccinations offered in the framework of the government’s infectious disease control programme. This covers not only the current immunisation programmes, such as the National Immunisation Programme, but also emerging infectious diseases and vaccinations to be offered in the future.

Contribution to infectious disease control

IIV has extensive knowledge about the Dutch population's immune system against infectious diseases. We help with infectious disease control within the Netherlands in several ways:

• by gaining knowledge through research and immunological surveillance.
• by applying knowledge.
• by sharing knowledge.

Goals

IIV investigates how our immune system can protect us against infectious diseases that threaten public health. We also investigate how we can promote this resistance through vaccination. The IIV investigates:

• how good this resistance is.
• how we can best develop this resistance in different age groups.
• how we can ensure this resistance with as few vaccinations as possible and with the best dosage.
• which vaccines are most suitable for this purpose.

Working method

IIV has a great deal of knowledge regarding:

• humoral and cellular immunity (both systemic and local).
• vaccinology.
• the microbiome.
• virology.
• experimental research on animals.

The different departments work together if their topics overlap and/or if they use the same techniques.

The head of the Centre for Immunology of Infectious Diseases and Vaccines is Dr. D. (Diana) Wouters.