Current developments and history

Young children and people with a medical indication have been vaccinated against pneumococcal disease for some time now. The vaccination programme for the elderly will be launched in autumn 2020. More information about how the programme was established is provided below.

In the Netherlands, the State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport orders the implementation of a vaccination programme based on the advice of the Health Council of the Netherlands. 

Advisory report of the Health Council of the Netherlands, 2018

On 28 February 2018, the Health Council of the Netherlands provided its initial advisory report to the State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) on pneumococcal vaccination. The recommendation was to invite people aged between 60 and 75 years old for pneumococcal vaccination every five years (at age 60, 65, 70 and 75). Over a period of 5 years, this whole group would be invited to receive the free pneumococcal vaccination.

The vaccination remains effective for 5 years. The Health Council expects that the vaccine would offer limited protection for people aged 80 years and older. For that reason, the Health Council advised in 2018 that the final vaccination should be offered at 75 years. This vaccine offers adults reduces the risk of becoming ill or dying from pneumococcal disease.

Updated target group for adult vaccination in 2021

In response to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, the Health Council wrote in April 2020 that people aged 70 years and older had a higher risk of becoming more severely ill from both pneumococcal infections and the novel coronavirus. There is no vaccine for COVID-19 at this time. However, the pneumococcal vaccination will offer the best possible protection against pneumococcal disease to this vulnerable group. This may possibly also minimise pressure on the healthcare system.

This recommendation led to a change in the target group as of 2021. For that reason, and based on the available vaccines, older people aged 69 to 73 years (which means everyone born between 1948 and 1952) will receive an invitation for the pneumococcal vaccination in autumn 2021.

Additional medical risk group in 2020

For years, the pneumococcal vaccination has been offered to specific medical risk groups, including people with sickle cell anaemia or people who do not have a spleen. The Health Council of the Netherlands recommends adding patients who have suffered damage to their lungs because of COVID-19 to the list of medical risk groups for the time being. 

Different vaccines for different groups

The different target groups for pneumococcal vaccination are offered different vaccines, each with its own specific properties.