Vaccination rates among young children slip; RIVM warns of growing outbreak risk

Vaccination rates among children under the age of five have slightly declined over the past year, according to the annual report from the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) on the National Immunization Program. The exact vaccination figures remain unclear due to the growing number of anonymous registrations, but the available data still shows a decline.

The RIVM observed a slight decrease in vaccinations among infants and preschoolers. Children from Moroccan-Dutch and Turkish-Dutch backgrounds, those who do not attend childcare, and children from large families—often from orthodox Protestant communities—are vaccinated at lower rates than others. The decline comes despite the National Immunization Program offering vaccinations against 13 infectious diseases throughout childhood.

One exception to the overall trend is a rise in HPV vaccinations. The RIVM attributes the increase to the ongoing catch-up campaign and earlier invitations for children to receive the vaccine. HPV, or human papillomavirus, can cause several types of cancer, including cervical cancer.

The national vaccination rate still falls short of the critical threshold of 90 percent. “It is important to pull out all the stops to maintain or preferably improve the vaccination rate,” the RIVM stated.

That warning was echoed by regional health authorities. GGD GHOR Nederland, the umbrella organization for public health services, said the RIVM report underscores the urgent need for sustained government funding.

“The health risks and potential for severe illness in children are no longer hypothetical, as shown by the major whooping cough outbreak and recent large clusters of measles,” Ton Coenen, director of GGD GHOR Nederland, told NOS. “We are calling on the cabinet to structurally invest in infectious disease control.”