Youth care to invite anti-vaxxers for discussion

Youth care will soon approach parents who refuse to vaccinate their children to explain to them exactly why vaccination is important. In this way State Secretary Paul Blokhuis of Public Health wants to address the decreasing vaccination rate more actively, the Volkskrant reports.

The Ministry will also invite 16- and 17-year-olds who have not been vaccinated to come get their injections free of charge. If the demand for this option is high enough, it will also be expanded to people aged 18 or older.

According to Blokhuis, he takes concerns over the growing group of parents refusing to participate in the government vaccination program "very seriously". He wants to "do everything he can to provide them with good, reliable information", he said. The discussion with youth care is intended to provide these parents with objective, scientific information about vaccinations.

The State Secretary will not force parents to vaccinate their children, however. "The starting point is and remains voluntary", he said. "Every parent decides for himself, but on the basis of reliable information."

To make sure that the available information about vaccinations is reliable, Blokhuis is also establishing a team of experts that will actively respond to incorrect information, including on social media.