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%.

Nearly all infants in the Netherlands are still participating in the National Immunisation Programme.

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.

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.

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.