Kids to get measles jab earlier, tetanus shot later in updated vaccination program

From next year, kids in the Netherlands will no longer get vaccination jabs at ages 4 and 9. The RIVM is changing the national vaccination program so that the jab against measles happens earlier and the one against tetanus happens later. The public health institution is also launching a major catch-up operation for children who aren’t on track in the vaccination program, AD reports.

The changes to the national vaccination program take effect from January 1. The DTP vaccination against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, and polio will no longer happen at age 4 but at age 5. Kids will also get a different cocktail without the polio protection at this age.

“We provide a lot of protection against polio, but due to new insights, we know that this is not necessary,” Jean-Marie Hament of the RIVM explained to AD. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends three doses. Kids in the Netherlands already receive four in their first year of life. The jab is moved a year later to provide longer protection. “You also want primary school pupils to be protected against whooping cough for longer because they may have little brothers and sisters who can become seriously ill.”

The jab at 9 years is getting a complete overhaul. From next year, kids will get the MMR vaccination against mumps, rubella, and measles at age 3 and the DTP jab against diphtheria, tetanus, and polio at age 14.

The MMR vaccination six years earlier is mainly to better protect children against measles before they go to school. The only downside is that children are ideally vaccinated against mumps a little later. “You see this disease more often in teenagers,” Hament explained. The mumps dose can’t be taken from the MMR cocktail, so if it turns out that more teenagers get mumps, an extra shot at a later age may eventually be necessary.

There is also a small change in the vaccination program for babies. They will not get the jabs against DPT, Haemophilus influenza type B, hepatitis B, and pneumococci at 12 months, but not at 11 months. As babies still go to the child health clinic at this stage, parents will not notice much of the change.

The RIVM is also launching a big catch-up operation for kids who haven’t received all their vaccinations. Parents will start receiving letters about this from next week.