van Roon, AMLanooij, SJde Melker, HE2025-01-302025-01-302025-01-3010.21945/RIVM-2024-0072https://rivm.openrepository.com/handle/10029/628225Every year, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) tracks how many people fall ill due to a disease that is included in the National Immunisation Programme (NIP). In 2023, more people in the Netherlands contracted such a disease than in the COVID-19 pandemic years of 2020–2022. This is because COVID-19 control measures, such as social distancing, were lifted in spring 2022. Some diseases that were rare in 2022 became more common in 2023. This was the case for diphtheria (14), mumps (91) and pertussis (whooping cough) (2,894). The number of measles cases in 2023 (7) was similar to 2022, but increased in 2024. The rise in children with pertussis and mumps that started in 2023 continued into 2024. The number of people with invasive meningococcal disease (126) was higher than in 2022, but still slightly lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) reports was slightly lower in 2023 than in 2020–2022. The number of children younger than 5 years of age who became very ill because of an Hib infection increased from 2012 until 2022, but seemed to stay the same in 2023. As was the case in 2022, no people contracted rubella in 2023. There were also no cases of polio, and the number of cases of tetanus (5), invasive pneumococcal disease (2,244) and chronic hepatitis B (834) were similar. In 2023, about 1.3 million children up to 18 years of age were vaccinated as part of the NIP. They received a total of over 2.8 million vaccinations. Also, more than 100,000 pregnant people were vaccinated against the flu and/or pertussis. These vaccinations protect their baby in the first few months after birth from flu and pertussis. They received a total of over 125,000 vaccinations. Starting from 1 January 2024, babies receive a vaccine against the rotavirus when they are 6 to 9 weeks old. They receive another dose at 3 months old. Also, babies born after 1 January 2024 will receive vaccinations against diseases like pertussis and pneumococcal disease one month later than before: at 12 months instead of 11 months. This change in the vaccination schedule aims to offer better protection to children. More changes will follow in 2025. Vaccination against COVID-19 works well to prevent severe illness and death. However, this protection slowly decreases. Booster and repeat vaccinations increase protection again.application/pdfenReport2025-01-30