Flu jab for additional groups The flu jab is offered free of charge every year to people aged 60 years and older, and to people who are at higher risk of becoming seriously ill from the flu virus due to medical reasons
Long-term symptoms more common after Lyme disease More than a quarter of people with Lyme disease continue to have long-term symptoms that lead to limitations in daily life even after treatment.
Last winter’s flu epidemic was short and mild. And then COVID-19 arrived. The flu epidemic in the winter of 2019/2020 was mild and lasted only 5 weeks.
Report on the developments of the National Immunisation Programme: national immunisation coverage increased slightly for the first time in five years 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%.
Spread of tick-borne encephalitis virus in the Netherlands Every year about 1.5 million ticks bite someone in the Netherlands, especially between March and October. Most people will not get sick of that.
Mild 2018-2019 influenza epidemic The annual influenza epidemic in the winter of 2018-2019 was less severe than the year before. Approximately 400,000 people have had the flu.
Tick found in Drenthe is a Hyalomma tick RIVM has investigated the so-called giant tick that was found in Odoorn in the province of Drenthe on 13 July. It is a Hyalomma marginatum female.
Updated immunisation recommendation for measles: early vaccination before travel 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.
Slightly fewer adult smokers In 2018, 22.4 per cent of the Dutch adult population indicated they were occasional smokers.
Discussion regarding health-based guidance value of PFOA The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published a provisional health-based guidance value for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).