Soon after the major polio epidemic in 1957, the Dutch government started vaccinating children against this disease. This was the go-ahead for the National Immunisation Programme, which was offered to everyone free of charge and to which other vaccinations were subsequently added. Today, the programme protects children against a number of dangerous diseases and prevents epidemics. RIVM directs the National Immunisation Programme and coordinates its implementation by the Municipal Public Health Services, Well Baby Clinics and the Centres for Children and Families. 2007 marked the 50th anniversary of the National Immunisation Programme, which achieved 95% immunisation coverage at that point. In that year, the programme protected children against eleven serious infectious diseases. Innovation The number of vaccines in the National Immunisation Programme has increased, vaccines are continually being improved, and the target group has extended from children to include 18-year old boys and girls. Based on ongoing innovation and improvement, the effectiveness and safety of the immunisation programme and vaccines are continuously monitored. Currently, immunisation is offered against 12 diseases.

People can be exposed to harmful substances after a major fire, accident, attack or another type of incident. Governments and citizens want to know the risks associated with such events and whether adequate measures have been taken. RIVM Environmental Incident Service supports regional and local authorities and helps organisations, such as the police and fire brigade, to answer such questions. Independent assessment As an independent unit, the Environmental Incident Service monitors the extent and dispersal of hazardous substances, assesses whether people have been exposed and the potential risk to human health and the environment. This information is used by the authorities in deciding whether measures that are often taken directly after an incident are still applicable, or need to be changed or discontinued. Highly trained experts The Environmental Incident Service has specialised knowledge and skills. The highly trained team is equipped with mobile laboratories containing advanced equipment to rapidly monitor, collect and analyse air, water and soil samples at a disaster site. If necessary, samples can be analysed by one of the specialised laboratories in the Netherlands that are combined with RIVM in a Laboratory Network. The Environmental Incident Service is on call 24/7 and responds to incidents and disasters in the Netherlands and also in other countries.  

June 12 - 13, 2018: Joint PATROLS-GRACIOUS-NanoSafety Cluster event on harmonisation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) From  June12-13th June 2018, a joint workshop on SOPs harmonisation was held at RIVM, the Netherlands. This activity was part of the Nanosafety Cluster (Working Group C) and was sponsored by the EU projects PATROLS and GRACIOUS. It was organised to follow-up on the EU ProSafe ‘White Paper’ recommendation for harmonised and validated test methods for nanomaterials (NMs) to support regulatory risk assessment. A short impression of the workshop is available on the  EU NanoSafetyCluster website. 

Information materials on infectious diseases and the vaccinations provided within the Dutch National Immunisation Programme are available in English and multiple languages.

Within WP 3 ‘Exposure through life cycle analysis’ and in relation to Deliverable D3.04 a Data Guidance Manual has been developed.