RIVM withdraws from tobacco committees The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment will leave the NEN/CEN/ISO committees for tobacco and e-cigarettes with immediate effect.
Climate change, ozone depletion and air quality need to be addressed coherently Ozone layer depletion, air pollution and climate change need to be addressed in connection with each other.
Influenza-like Illness Incidence Is Not Reduced by Influenza Vaccination Influenza vaccination reduces the number of influenza virus infections but not the overall number of illness.
Risk of measles outbreaks increases with decreasing vaccination coverage Vaccination coverage for vaccinations in the Dutch National Vaccination Program (NIP) decreased slightly by about half a percent for the third consecutive year.
Alertness about the Zika virus still needed for pregnant women Since May 2015, there has been a Zika virus outbreak in South and Central America, including the Caribbean. The Zika virus can cause birth defects, including microcephaly (small head size).
Moderate flu season Last winter season, the duration and severity of the influenza epidemic was moderate compared to previous years.
Assessment of health effects of alternative tobacco products To assess the effects on the health of users of alternative tobacco products, more knowledge is required about the composition of the product, the smoker’s behaviour (such as the amount of cigarett
Less air pollution from traffic and industry but increased contribution from agriculture International air policy has shown good results in Europe: in the past 35 years the air has become cleaner. Nevertheless air pollution is still an important cause of premature death.
More tobacco products, number of additives stable In 2014, the number of tobacco products on the Dutch market increased to 4212. This is a 5 percent increase compared to 2013.
Measles epidemic and Salmonella outbreak cost nearly six million euros The most recent measles epidemic and outbreak of Salmonella Thomson due to smoked salmon have cost 3.9 and 1.7 million euros, respectively.