Industry and policymakers are not availing themselves enough of the available scientific knowledge when it comes to smarter ways of dealing with plastics.

Now not only girls, but also boys will have the opportunity to protect themselves from cancer caused by HPV.

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%.

The method developed by RIVM to assess whether waste treatment is sufficiently safe and sustainable, can contribute to the European ambitions for a safe and more circular economy.

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.

RIVM has derived temporary background values for two types of PFAS in Dutch soil: PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) and PFOA (perfluoro octanoic acid).

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.