Dutch Health Council advises RS Virus vaccinations for children

The Health Council believes that all children should be vaccinated against the RS virus in their first year of life. This cold virus can make them very ill. Protection is also possible via vaccination of soon-to-be mothers, but the council prefers the injections for the children. This should lead to more children being helped.

By vaccinating the mother, children born outside RS season, which is the winter, will not be protected enough. The protection will be insufficient by the time they get to RS season. The so-called maternal vaccination also does not provide sufficient protection in the event of premature birth because not enough antibodies have been able to reach the fetus.

New substances were recently registered. One is for children themselves, the other for pregnant women. Both drugs are good, according to the council, and the protection outweighs any side effects.

The chances of becoming very ill from the RS virus are especially high for premature babies, children with Down's syndrome, or with a heart defect from birth. Pensioners and people with heart or lung issues are also more at risk of complications if they were to get infected.

Protection of all babies through the National Vaccination Program "in the short term" is advised by the council.

State Secretary for Health, Welfare, and Sport Maarten van Ooijen has shared that no money is available to follow the Health Council's advice. "Funding is not available for several positive vaccination recommendations from the Health Council (for example, pneumococcal and shingles vaccination)," he said. The next Cabinet will have to decide on this.