New crisis response organisation at RIVM to control future pandemics The cabinet has agreed to the proposal of Ernst Kuipers, Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport, to set up a National Functionality for Infectious Disease Control (LFI).
Flu vaccination also available for pregnant women as of this autumn Every year, people aged 60+ and people with certain medical conditions can get the free flu vaccination. On the recommendation of the Health Council of the Netherlands, the free flu vaccination will now also be made available to pregnant women.
RIVM will calculate temporary background value for PFAS in soil In the coming weeks, RIVM will derive a temporary background value for PFAS in Dutch soil. This will be done based on measurement data from the provinces in the Netherlands.
RIVM reaction to farmers protest on 16 October 2019 On 16 October, farmers protested in the vicinity of RIVM in Bilthoven. The Director-General of RIVM, Hans Brug, was present at the protest site.
Openness about nitrogen There is concern about the current approach to nitrogen and the proposed measures; these concerns have been expressed in Dutch society as a whole and amongst farmers in particular.
Cold meat cuts probable source of 20 listeria cases RIVM has identified a cluster of 20 patients diagnosed with listeria over the past 2 years who are most likely to have been infected with an identical strain.
Need for circular use of materials in construction Construction and demolition waste are being recycled on a large scale to use as a foundation for e.g. roads, but recycled building materials are hardly ever used in the construction of buildings.
Breakthrough on cumulative risk assessment exposure to pesticides in food The European Commission, Member States and EFSA have taken a major step forward in their work on assessing the cumulative risks from exposure to pesticides in food.
Tool for risk assessment of nanomaterials in cosmetics Both regulators and manufacturers need to evaluate and manage consumer health risks that may be posed by the use of nanomaterials in cosmetics.
New possibilities for the responsible recycling of plastics RIVM proposes the consideration of a broader environmental perspective in the trade-off between incineration or recycling of plastics.