Meningococcal disease is a very serious infectious disease that can cause meningitis or blood poisoning. Children are immunised against meningococcal serogroup C at 14 months.

In December 2016, RIVM published in Dutch the results of its research into the health risks of playing sports on synthetic turf pitches with rubber granulate.

New research by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) shows it is safe for people to play sports on synthetic turf fields with an infill of rubber granulate.

RIVM has started to take samples of rubber granulate from 100 synthetic turf fields in the Netherlands.

Modifications to the National Immunisation Programme have led to fewer cases of whooping cough among children.