The percentage of babies and pre-school children who have been vaccinated has decreased slightly again this year in comparison with last year. At the same time, the vaccination coverage among teenagers has increased. These findings are from the report by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) on ‘Vaccination Coverage of the National Immunisation Programme in the Netherlands – 2026’.

Over the past few months, about three-quarters of infants in the Netherlands have had an injection against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). As a result, there have been significantly fewer babies admitted to children’s intensive care units (ICU). In the 2024-2025 season, a total of 178 infants had been admitted to ICU due to RSV infections by the start of February. In this season, there have been 43 infant ICU admissions for RSV so far. Since September 2025, an injection against RSV has been included in the National Immunisation Programme.

Starting in September 2025, babies can get an injection against RSV. The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can cause serious respiratory infections, especially in young babies. Between 1,500 and 3,000 babies end up in hospital every year as a result of RSV. The injection protects babies against severe illness resulting from the virus during their first year of life.

Due to vaccination against HPV, fewer people are transmitting HPV to others. The spread of HPV is decreasing as a result. Research shows that HPV vaccination indirectly also protects unvaccinated women to some extent. This shows the importance of vaccination against HPV.

Vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV) offers highly effective protection against cervical cancer. These findings are from the first group of women who could get the HPV vaccination and have a smear test.

In 2023, more people in the Netherlands contracted a disease which is vaccinated against in the context of the National Immunisation Programme (RVP) than in 2022. This is because coronavirus measures, such as physical distancing, were still in effect for part of 2022.

From 20 November on, data from National Immunisation Programme will be available through the client portal provided by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM): Mijn.RIVM.nl . The data can also be accessed through five personal digital health environments qualified for this purpose.

Babies develop fewer antibodies against pertussis (whooping cough) if the mother is given the pertussis vaccine before the 24th week of pregnancy. These findings are from a multi-year study carried out by RIVM among preterm and full-term babies and their mothers.

The percentage of babies and toddlers that were vaccinated in the framework of the National Immunisation Programme remained about the same compared to last year. In children aged 9 years and older, vaccination coverage continued to decrease for most of the national childhood immunisations.