A lot of RIVM’s efforts can be classified as some form of research, the vast majority of which is carried out in response to specific requests from our main commissioning bodies such as national government ministries. However, the institute also has a dedicated internal budget that it can invest in work that is expected to generate new knowledge of strategic relevance: the Strategic Programme RIVM (SPR).

The RSV antibody injection protects babies from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). RSV infection can make newborn babies very ill. Sometimes they  have to go to hospital. The aim is to offer the RSV antibody injection to all babies in the Netherlands from autumn 2025 on.

RSV can make newborn babies very ill. Pregnant people can therefore get a vaccination against RSV at their own expense. This vaccination protects their baby against serious illness from RSV for about six months after birth. Read more about vaccination against RSV during pregnancy on this page.

3% of adults reported having persistent symptoms after COVID-19, and one-third of those work fewer hours or no longer work at all. This is evidenced by the latest quarterly update from June 2024. The results of this study are part of Health Research for COVID-19. The Network for Health Research in Disasters (GOR Network) publishes an update on this page every six months, summarising key results about adults from survey research and data from primary care providers. The results on research about young people are published quarterly. The aim of this study is to provide information to the municipalities, the provinces and the national government of the Netherlands to assist them in formulating policies to facilitate better pandemic preparedness and to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.