From 2024, rotavirus vaccination will be included in the National Immunisation Programme (NIP). Rotavirus can cause severe diarrhoea and dehydration in babies, in some cases requiring them to be hospitalised.

In 2022, the air quality at ground level in the Netherlands complied with the EU limit values for nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter almost everywhere. However, these substances were found in slightly higher concentrations than during the COVID-19 pandemic years 2020 and 2021.

In the Netherlands, old car tyres are mainly recycled mechanically into new products, such as stable mats for livestock. Throughout Europe, old car tyres are also frequently used as a coal substitute in cement kilns.

On average, the sugar and salt intakes of the Dutch population have gone down, while its fibre intake has gone up. This is apparent from the latest Dutch National Food Consumption Survey (Voedselconsumptiepeiling, VCP) figures.

The number of people in the Netherlands with respiratory symptoms continues to increase. Besides COVID-19 and rhinovirus, the number of people who have flu is also increasing. We are also seeing more and more people with pneumonia. Some of these cases are caused by the bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

Recent measurements commissioned by the provinces of Zeeland, Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland have revealed the presence of PFAS in sea foam along the Dutch coast, as reported by RIVM. It is as yet unclear what the presence of PFAS in sea foam means for human health.

Each year, RIVM conducts a study into how people experience their living environment. It investigates severe annoyance or sleep disturbance caused by such factors as noise or vibrations. The study also covers odour annoyance and concerns about air quality.

RIVM research has shown that the Dutch population’s intake of iodine is barely sufficient. It is important that this intake does not decrease further, particularly for women of child-bearing age.

Booster vaccinations reduced the risk of dying from COVID-19 in 2022. The risk of death from other causes was also lower for people who had a booster jab than for people without a booster jab. These findings are from research by RIVM.

The Dutch public health and healthcare will face three crucial challenges in the period to 2050. This is according to RIVM’s preview of the Dutch Public Health Foresight Study 2024.