Starting this coming weekend, all Dutch teenagers will receive an invitation to get a vaccination against Meningococcus in the year that they turn 14 years old. The reason for this is an increase in type W of the bacteria, which can also be dangerous to teenagers and young people, unlike the other types which are mainly dangerous to young children, RTL Nieuws reports.
RIVM
Aug 9 '18 09:09
The hot weather in the Netherlands over the past weeks did not cause an increase in the number of deaths in the country, public health institute RIVM said. According to the institute, this is because many people who were already weakened passed away in the winter, and because the Dutch are getting better at protecting themselves against the heat, AD reports.
Aug 7 '18 07:31
There is a good chance of smog in the entire Netherlands on Tuesday, public health institute RIVM warns. Those sensitive to dirty air, for example people with respiratory problems, are advised to stay inside, especially during the afternoon and early evening, RTL Nieuws reports.
"For the entire country, air quality can be bad, but the highest concentrations are expected in the east", the RIVM said. The smog will be at its worst during the afternoon and early evening.
Aug 2 '18 13:40
Public health institute RIVM again implemented the National Heat Plan for Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Gelderland, Utrecht, Overijssel and Drenthe. Temperatures in these parts of the country will climb to between 30 and 35 degrees in the coming days, and minimums will not drop much below 20 degrees, according to meteorological institute KNMI.
The RIVM warns people in these provinces to stay hydrated, wear thin clothing that provide protection against the sun, stay in the shade, regularly apply sunscreen, and limit physical exertion during the hottest parts of the day.
Jul 25 '18 12:00
The chance of smog formation is increasing due to the persistently high temperatures, public health institute RIVM warns. Air quality will be bad in the middle and east of the country while the high temperatures last, NU.nl reports.
The RIVM advises people sensitive to smog to stay indoors and limit physical exertion, especially in the late afternoon and the early evening, as air pollution is at its worst at those times.
Jul 25 '18 07:58
Meteorological institute KNMI issued a code orange weather warning for extreme heat in the entire country, except for the Wadden area. The warning is in place from 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday until Friday.
Jul 23 '18 12:10
Public health institution RIVM implemented the National Heat Plan on Monday due to persistently hot weather expected this week. Maximums of 30 degrees or higher are expected in the Netherlands the coming days, and minimums won't drop below 20, according to meteorological institute KNMI.
Jul 23 '18 10:10
Pay extra attention to the elderly during the coming hot days, the Red Cross advises. According to the aid organization, this vulnerable group is at risk of dehydration and overheating in the high temperatures expected for this week, NOS reports.
Jul 13 '18 13:40
At various places around chemical factory Chemours in Dordrecht, the ditch water and collected rain water contain high concentrations of chemical substances PFOA or GenX, according to the interim results of a RIVM investigation into these chemicals in the water of 11 vegetable gardens in the area, NOS reports.
Jul 6 '18 09:07
Some 19 thousand Dutch teenagers drink too many energy drinks and therefore run health risks, public health institute RIVM concluded after a study. State Secretary Paul Blokhuis of Public Health is talking with various organizations about measures, NOS reports.
According to the RIVM, the consumption of energy drinks among teenagers declined over the past years. But about 1 to 2 percent of teens between the ages of 13 and 18 years drink three cans or more per day. They therefore run an increased risk of cardiac arrhythmia and their central nervous system being affected.
Jul 4 '18 11:40
The rubber granulate used in artificial turf is harmful to the environment in the immediate vicinity of the fields, according to research by public health institute RIVM and the union of water boards UVW. The rubber granules can leak substances that end up in the soil and dredges around the fields, the researchers found, ANP reports.
Jun 25 '18 09:17
Last year 90.2 percent of 2-year-olds in the Netherlands got their vaccinations, 1,720 toddlers less than in 2016. Only 45 percent of girls were vaccinated against HPV, the virus that can cause cervical cancer, RTL Nieuws and NU.nl report based on the annual figures of public heath institute RIVM.
Jun 22 '18 10:50
Nearly half of Dutch children between the ages of 4 and 12 years did not get enough exercise last year, according to figures Statistics Netherlands and public health institute RIVM released on Friday. According to the Health Council's movement guidelines, kids in this age group must get "moderately intense" exercise, like walking, cycling or playing outside at least 1 hour per day.
Jun 13 '18 08:39
Smokers inhale much higher doses of harmful substances than is stated on their cigarette packages, according to a study by Dutch public health institute RIVM. The researchers found that the amount of tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide is at least twice as high as manufacturers claim, ANP reports.
Jun 4 '18 16:20
On Monday State Secretary Barbara Visser of Defense apologized for the fact that Defense employees were insufficiently protected against the health consequences of working with carcinogenic chromium 6 in the period 1984 to 2006. "Defense has failed", she said while presenting the results of a major investigation by the RIVM. "I am sorry.", NOS repots.
May 30 '18 08:08
The Netherlands is heading for a record number of infections with the meningococcal bacterium type W, also known as meningitis. So far this year 57 people ended up in intensive care and 11 people died because of this bacterium, according to figures AD received from the national institute for public health RIVM.
May 16 '18 10:20
The Dutch government plans to hold so-called smoke-free cigarettes to the same rules that apply to ordinary tobacco products. State Secretary Paul Blokhuis of Public Health is implementing an age limit and a ban on advertising on these products, NU.nl reports.
"Around this type of product is often the image that they are a smart alternative to ordinary smoking", Blokhuis said. According to him, that idea is misplaced, "because you can become mortally ill of it."
May 7 '18 09:09
The Netherlands is immediately withdrawing from an international committee that gives the tobacco industry advice on measuring nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide in their products, according to newspaper Trouw.
The national institute for public health RIVM and the Dutch food and consumer product safety authority NVWA believe that the tobacco industry has too much influence on the committee, and therefore decided to withdraw. According to the newspaper, eight of the 10 members in the Dutch committee come from the tobacco industry.
Apr 2 '18 15:50
Easter bonfires are causing an increased concentration in particulate matter in the air in some parts of the Netherlands, particularly in Overijssel and Achterhoek. "Especially people with lung diseases such as asthma and COPD, and (older) people with cardiovascular disease may suffer", public health institute RIVM warns, NOS reports.
According to the RIVM, the problem lies in the calm weather with not much wind. As a result, smoke and particulate matter can remain in place for a long time. The institute warns people to avoid the smoke as much as possible.
Jan 12 '18 08:10
A high level of air pollutants triggered a Friday smog warning for the Netherlands, with possibility of "insufficient" air quality over the weekend. Air quality in the Randstad municipalities and in the south of the Netherlands was expected to be "poor", the Dutch health authority RIVM said in a statement.
Nov 17 '17 08:52
The majority of children under the age of 13 in the Netherlands eat less fruit, vegetables and fish than the Nutrition Center recommends, according to a health survey by Statistics Netherlands in collaboration with the RIVM and the Nutrition Center. In the period between 2014 and 2016 less than four in ten children ate enough fruit, just over four in ten ate enough vegetables, and little more than half ate enough fish.
The health survey is annually conducted among around 1,100 children. Researchers question the kids' parents about the food they eat.
Aug 15 '17 13:40
Traces of the potentially carcinogenic substance GenX were found in the tap water of The Hague, Zoetermeer and Leiden, water company Dunea announced on Tuesday. The company stresses that the concentrations are very low and that the drinking water is still safe, AD reports.
Jul 5 '17 16:30
Dementia is expected to be the main cause of death for people in the Netherlands by 2040. In the next 23 years the number of dementia related deaths will grow from 14 thousand to 40 thousand, according to a new study published by public health institute RIVM on Wednesday, ANP report.
The increase in dementia related deaths can be attributed to the aging population. Dementia is a collective name for over 50 age related diseases, including Alzheimer's. It is possible to live with dementia for several years, but patients gradually weaken. There is currently no cure.
Jun 23 '17 12:05
More and more people are diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease in the Netherlands, according to a report by national health service RIVM. The number of gonorrhea and syphilis diagnoses increased significantly among gay men last year. Chlamydia is the most common STD among women and heterosexual men. HIV positive diagnoses decreased.
A total of 143,139 people went to a Sexual Health Center to be tested for a STD last year, 5 percent more than in 2015. And 18.4 percent of them were indeed diagnosed with a STD, compared to 17.2 percent the year before.
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