Influenza vaccination reduces the number of influenza virus infections but not the overall number of illness.

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.

Last winter season, the duration and severity of the influenza epidemic was moderate compared to previous years.

The flu epidemic in the winter of 2014 / 2015 lasted 21 weeks and as such was the longest epidemic ever recorded in the Netherlands. Nearly two million people suffered from flu-like symptoms.

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