For the second year in a row, the proportion of young children who have received all basic vaccinations has fallen. The vaccination rate in the youngest age group, children up to two years old, will fall below 90 percent in 2022, according to a study report published on Thursday by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). It worries RIVM. The measles vaccination rate among babies is particularly alarming: it dipped well below 90 percent for the first time in years, while the measles virus is on the rise worldwide.
The measles vaccination rate is our benchmark, says Jeanne-Marie Hament, program manager of the National Immunization Program at RIVM. “The disease is still occurring and is highly contagious. He has an R-number of 20 to 35, which means that one infected person can infect up to 35 others.”
Outbreaks
For good herd immunity, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a measles vaccination rate of 95 percent. In the Netherlands it has so far been between 90 and 95 percent. “That turned out to be sufficient, except for the outbreaks in areas where fewer people were vaccinated, for example because of religious beliefs. But if the trend continues and vaccine coverage continues to fall, we are more likely to see more measles outbreaks.”
A worrying increase has already been seen in the United Kingdom, from January to April this year 49 measles cases, almost the same as in all of 2022especially in London.
RIVM is not yet braced for major outbreaks of measles in the Netherlands. “We now see the low vaccination rate mainly in the younger groups. Older children and adults still have sufficient immunity, they are well vaccinated. But that decline should not continue. Then the risk of measles outbreaks will increase.”
Travelers
The lower vaccination coverage of the other diseases is also a cause for concern. The National Immunization Program offers protection against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, mumps, measles and rubella. In addition, ten-year-olds can receive a vaccination against HPV, which causes cervical cancer, among other things, and 14-year-olds can receive an injection against meningitis (meningococcus). “You want to maintain herd immunity for all those diseases, including the diseases that we do not see in the Netherlands at the moment, such as diphtheria. They do occur in other countries, so travelers and refugees can bring them with them,” says Hament.
The RIVM will now investigate why the vaccination rate continues to fall. This may be because some young parents are less positive about vaccinations. In 2022, the group of young parents who have a negative attitude towards the National Immunization Program will be several percent larger than in 2013, according to a poll by the institute. This could be a result of the corona pandemic, which has fueled distrust of vaccinations. “We want to talk to these parents, to hear what concerns there are,” says Hamert. The vast majority of parents are still positive about vaccination.
RIVM is also looking at how they can better reach people with a migration background. Hament: “The vaccination rate is lagging behind, especially in large cities, and we want to be able to give all children an equal start.” RIVM is thinking of more understandable information, conversations with professionals, and better accessibility of vaccination locations.
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