News | RIVM

Drop in and get vaccinated without an appointment on HPV Awareness Day

Saturday 4 March is HPV Awareness Day. It is a day to stop and think about the human papillomavirus (HPV) and the six kinds of cancer it can cause. These cancers affect both men and women.

Young people less likely to contact GP for mental health problems

The percentage of young people who report having mental health problems has hardly decreased since the last lockdown (in early 2022).

DNA technology offers many opportunities for the health of Dutch citizens

DNA technology has great potential to improve healthcare and public health. This is one of the findings of expert consultations that RIVM conducted with healthcare providers, researchers, patient representatives, product developers and other stakeholders.

Using multiple products with same paraben is safe, but questions remain about butylparaben

Parabens are a type of preservative. In Europe, four parabens have been approved for use in personal care products and fingerpaint. Use of a single product containing one of these parabens poses no health risk.

RSV summer peak possibly caused by declining antibodies during COVID-19 pandemic

RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a common virus that causes cold symptoms. In particularly, young children and vulnerable older people are more likely to become seriously ill if they get it.

Some disinfection methods against the coronavirus may be unsafe

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, new and additional disinfection methods have become available. Because not all of these products fall under the same legislation, there are some on the market today whose efficacy and safety have not been evaluated by an independent body.

More severe annoyance and sleep disturbance due to aircraft noise

In 2020, more persons living in the direct vicinity of Dutch airports experienced annoyance from aircraft noise than in 2002. In other words, there was an increase in the number of persons who indicated that they were highly annoyed or highly sleep disturbed at a certain noise level.

No new SARS-CoV-2 variants discovered in wastewater on aircraft from China

Wastewater on aircraft from China has not been found to contain any new variants of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 so far. These findings are from several tests performed by RIVM. However, the wastewater was found to contain coronavirus particles.

Slight increase in greenhouse gasses in 2021

In 2021, greenhouse gas emissions were 1.8% higher than the year before. This marked the first time emissions had gone up since 2016. In 2020, emissions declined by 8.8%. The 2021 increase is largely attributable to CO2 and to the cold winter.

Mpox vaccinations in 2022

More than 18 thousand people in the Netherlands have received one or more mpox vaccinations. The vaccination campaign was launched late last July, shortly after the outbreak began, and ended last month.

Science Photo Library / ANP