The percentage of children receiving vaccinations from the National Immunisation Programme rose again last year. Another striking note is the 10% increase in HPV vaccination, rising to 63%.

National immunisation coverage has increased for the first time in five years, for almost all vaccinations. For children born in 2017, vaccination coverage against mumps, measles and rubella (MMR) increased by 0.7% to 93.6%.

The percentage of newborns participating in the immunisation programme targeting mumps, measles and rubella rose slightly over the past year.

From 16 December 2019, pregnant women in the Netherlands will be offered the 22-week vaccination. With this vaccination, a pregnant woman protects her child and herself against whooping cough.

In the first six months of 2019, the number of notified meningococcal serogroup W (MenW) disease cases decreased in almost all age groups, after a continuous increase since 2015.

The vaccine against the HPV human papillomavirus virus will also become available for boys.

A number of European countries are currently seeing outbreaks of measles. Before the start of the summer season, RIVM has therefore updated its immunisation recommendation for measles.

Scientific journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases has published an article on RIVM research conducted into pertussis vaccination for pregnant women.

This spring, about 860,000 young people in the Netherlands will receive an invitation for a vaccination against meningococcal disease.

Young people (13-18 years) who use light-emitting screens daily in the hour before going to sleep have more sleep problems.