Vaccination rate drops again: GGD sounds the alarm for public health

ANP / ANP / Koen van Weel

The vaccination rate among young children continues to decline and is in more and more regions below the critical threshold for herd immunity. The GGD GHOR Nederland is sounding the alarm and warns that without structural investments, the resilience of society will come under serious pressure.

The recently published Vaccination Rate Report 2024 by the RIVM shows that the share of babies and toddlers vaccinated against serious childhood diseases such as diphtheria, whooping cough, polio and measles has decreased slightly. This means that in more and more places the vaccination rate is falling below the WHO standard of 90 to 95 percent. This standard is crucial for herd immunity, whereby the vulnerable are also protected against outbreaks.

The RIVM notes that the decline may also affect other diseases such as whooping cough , which is relatively common among young children and can have serious consequences. In addition, it is feared that clusters of unvaccinated people in certain neighborhoods or groups could lead to local outbreaks that escalate quickly.

Ton Coenen, director of GGD GHOR Nederland, points to a broader concern. "The vaccination rate among toddlers and preschoolers is too low. But underneath we see a foundation that is crumbling. The entire infectious disease control is under pressure: outbreaks can hardly be contained. In this way, the resilience of society is being undermined step by step."

Coenen explains that this is not just a matter of numbers, but of a structural problem within public health care. "GGDs only receive money for carrying out the National Vaccination Program, but not for structural activities to increase the vaccination rate. So we are formally responsible for the success, but we do not receive any resources for it."

This situation is also reflected in international rankings, where the Netherlands shows a decline in the KidsRights children's rights index.

To counter the decline, additional efforts have been made in some cities through neighbourhood-oriented campaigns. Parents are approached locally with appropriate information and opportunities for vaccination. Coenen confirms the positive effect. "In practice, we see that a neighbourhood-oriented approach works: providing information and vaccination locally increases the reach. But this is not a long-term solution." According to him, it is important that this approach is structurally financed, so that it does not remain a temporary peak, but brings lasting improvement.

Concerns about falling vaccination rates are also linked to the increased threat of outbreaks and epidemics. Coenen warns that the capacity to respond quickly and effectively is limited. “Without strengthening public health, we are simply not prepared for the next pandemic.”

This can not only lead to serious illnesses among vulnerable groups, but also to social disruption and overload of healthcare institutions.

According to experts and GGD GHOR, investing in prevention and vaccination is the most effective way to save costs in healthcare and improve public health. Vaccinations not only protect individual children, but also prevent diseases from spreading and leading to large-scale outbreaks.

According to the GGD, the current trend of declining vaccination rates requires extra attention and, above all, permanent, stable financing of infectious disease control at the local level. Ton Coenen emphasizes the urgency. "This is not a luxury, but essential to protect our children against infectious diseases. As a society, we must not accept that this protection is under pressure."