News item | 28-09-2023 | 10:30
Earlier this year, the Health Council recommended using a new pneumococcal vaccine for children, the so-called PCV13 or PCV15. The use of one of these vaccines achieves more health gains against pneumococci than the current vaccine. State Secretary Maarten van Ooijen (VWS) has accepted the Health Council’s advice and has succeeded in releasing the necessary money for this. This means that from the summer of 2024 the first children are expected to be vaccinated with one of these new, better vaccines.
Which of the vaccines will be offered later, PCV13 or PCV15, depends on the outcome of the tender carried out by the RIVM on behalf of State Secretary Van Ooijen. The pneumococcal vaccination protects against the most common types of pneumococci. Babies receive 3 injections in their first year of life. Pneumococci can cause middle ear infection, sinusitis and bronchitis, but can also lead to severe pneumonia, meningitis or blood poisoning.
Change of location for flu vaccination of pregnant women without medical indication
As of this year, pregnant women without a medical indication (from 22 weeks of pregnancy) will have the option to get the flu shot at the health clinic instead of at the GP. On the advice of the RIVM, it was decided to offer the maternal flu vaccination in the same way as the maternal whooping cough vaccination. Pregnant women with a medical indication will receive an invitation for the flu shot from their GP, as they are used to.
Vaccination rate 2022
On behalf of the RIVM, Nivel annually examines the vaccination rate of the National Flu Prevention Program (NPG) and the National Pneumococcal Vaccination Program for Adults (NPPV). In 2022, 56.8% of the target group will have received a flu vaccination. This is lower than in 2021 (58.3%), but higher compared to the figures before the corona pandemic in 2019 (52.6%). In 2022, 63% of the NPPV target group received a vaccination, in contrast to 74.1% in 2021. Because a different age cohort is invited to the NPPV every year, a good comparison between the years is not possible.