The diseases that are covered by the National Immunisation Programme are not harmless childhood infections. Vaccinations help prevent serious consequences caused by infectious diseases. That includes hospital admission, permanent health problems, or even death. A rubella infection during pregnancy, for example, can cause your child to become blind or deaf. It is not possible to predict who will become seriously ill or die from a disease. That is why we want to protect every child in the Netherlands with vaccinations.

you might worry that the injection will hurt, or that the vaccination could have side effects. But an injection only hurts for a bit, and the side effects are usually mild. The risks are much higher if a young child gets an infectious disease. The vaccinations protect against serious diseases. Children can become very seriously ill from whooping cough, for example, and could even die.

If you get an infectious disease, that could eventually give you better immunity against that disease after you recover. If a child gets sick without being vaccinated, their body develops some level of natural immunity. This is a risk, however, because the immune system is not always strong enough to fight off the disease. Becoming ill could lead to serious complications and hospital admission. Vaccination does not prevent all cases of disease. But vaccinating does lead to a less serious course of illness. A vaccination teaches the body what to do if it exposed to a disease. The immune system in your body activates in response to a vaccination. If your child is vaccinated, and is later exposed to an infectious disease, your child’s body immediately knows how to fight the disease. As a result, your child will not become ill at all, or only have very mild symptoms.

Vaccinations cannot cause autism. People who are opposed to vaccinations sometimes referred to an article published in 1998. Andrew Wakefield, who was a doctor in England at that time, claimed there was a link between the measles vaccine and autism. But the study from the article was retracted because Wakefield had committed research fraud. The data and conclusions from the study were falsified, and Wakefield was no longer allowed to practice medicine. Since then, he is no longer allowed to call himself a doctor. The Dutch Autism Association (NVA) describes what could be considered possible causes of autism (in Dutch). That page also references the WHO fact sheet on autism

There is no evidence that the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine causes fatigue. A lot of research has been done on this topic. Research in other countries and research by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) does not show any links between the HPV vaccine and chronic fatigue. Fatigue symptoms are just as common among girls who have not been vaccinated against HPV. There is no significant difference compared to girls who have been vaccinated against HPV.

Also, girls do not become infertile from the HPV vaccine. The opposite is true: an HPV infection can negatively affect fertility. Vaccination against HPV protects against these and other negative consequences of an HPV infection. The vaccine acts on the immune system and not on the ovaries or uterus, so it is not possible for girls to become infertile as a result of the vaccine. The HPV vaccine is very effective: it offers around 95% protection against long-term infections resulting from the two most dangerous types of HPV.

There has been a lot of research on a possible relationship between vaccination and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), sometimes known as cot death. The results show that SIDS is not a side effect of vaccination. Studies even show that vaccination reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. 

‘Vaccine damage’ is not a medical term, but it is sometimes used online to refer to various symptoms (or combinations of symptoms). That includes symptoms that often do not have a clear and objective cause, such as chronic health conditions, disabilities, behavioural problems, allergies, autistic spectrum disorders, sleep problems or change in appetite. There is no scientific evidence linking these symptoms to vaccinations covered by the National Immunisation Programme. There have been no findings of permanent damage from the vaccinations provided in the context of the National Immunisation Programme.

Vaccines are tested rigorously before they are approved for use. The safety standards used for vaccine testing are very strict. Official authorities assess vaccine safety. In Europe, vaccines are assessed by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). In the Netherlands, this task is assigned to the Medicines Evaluation Board (CBG-MEB). Thanks to these thorough assessments, we know that vaccines are safe and effective for everyone who receives them. Even after a vaccine is approved for use, possible side effects are still monitored and investigated. In the Netherlands, you can report side effects to Lareb.

Vaccine manufacturers make and sell vaccines. They do not play a role in advice and decisions regarding the vaccinations in the National Immunisation Programme. The Minister of Health decides whether to vaccinate against a specific infectious disease, based on advisory opinions provided by the Health Council of the Netherlands. The Health Council is an independent scientific advisory body. The Health Council reviews scientific data and advises the minister on which vaccines are best. This process guarantees that decisions about vaccinations are based on objective scientific data, and are not led by commercial interests. Vaccines for the National Immunisation Programme are purchased by RIVM. This public procurement process follows European tendering procedures.