The percentage of babies and pre-school children who have been vaccinated has decreased slightly again this year in comparison with last year. At the same time, the vaccination coverage among teenagers has increased. These findings are from the report by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) on ‘Vaccination Coverage of the National Immunisation Programme in the Netherlands – 2026’. Furthermore, around three-quarters of babies received the RSV vaccination. This vaccination was added to the National Immunisation Programme (NIP) in 2025.
Vaccination coverage among babies and pre-school children is slightly lower than last year. However, for the HPV vaccine, vaccination coverage has risen for both boys and girls for the second year in a row. They are given this vaccination at around the age of 10. In addition, more 14-year-old children received the MenACWY (meningococcal disease types A, C, W and Y) vaccination. Vaccination coverage for 9-year-olds against DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, polio) and MMR (mumps, measles, rubella) has remained roughly the same.
Injection against RSV
From September 2025, babies have been eligible for an injection against RSV, a virus which can cause very severe infections of the airways. The introduction of the vaccination had an immediate positive effect: last autumn and winter, significantly fewer babies were admitted to paediatric ICUs. Nevertheless, uptake of the RSV injection remains lower than for the other NIP vaccinations for babies. Around three-quarters of babies received an injection against RSV.
Vaccination coverage is important
High vaccination coverage is important in order to continue protecting people against serious infectious diseases. When vaccination coverage decreases, outbreaks of these diseases happen more often. For example, in 2025, more than 500 people contracted measles. At present, vaccination coverage for the MMR vaccination (against mumps, measles and rubella) is below 90 per cent. At least 95 per cent is needed to protect the population of the Netherlands against measles outbreaks.
Partnerships in neighbourhoods
In order to improve vaccination coverage, projects in which local organisations work together have been launched in various municipalities across the Netherlands. Examples include getting midwives involved in vaccinating pregnant women, inviting 16- and 17-year-olds to catch up on missed vaccinations, and organising more walk-in consultation hours. The municipalities are positive about the initial results of this neighbourhood-focused approach. RIVM provides support for this approach through research, monitoring and direct coordination with the organisations responsible for implementation.
Data partly anonymised
RIVM cannot provide the exact vaccination coverage figures for each vaccination, because since 2022, parents and young people have been required to give youth health services permission to share vaccination data, along with personal data, with RIVM. As a result, RIVM receives part of the information on vaccinations anonymously and it does not include the year of birth. RIVM does include anonymous vaccinations wherever possible in order to determine the actual vaccination coverage.
Vaccination coverage specified for each infectious disease is presented in the report on ‘Vaccination Coverage of the National Immunisation Programme in the Netherlands - 2026’