RIVM sees it as its task to ensure optimal protection of public health against infectious diseases. Vaccination plays an important role in this. The horizon scan and the Vaccine Advice Desk are two important instruments through which RIVM aims to achieve this objective.
The horizon scan is a quarterly meeting during which pharmaceutical companies inform RIVM about their vaccine research. The purpose of this meeting is to keep RIVM informed about the latest developments in the field of vaccines. Representatives from RIVM, the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, and the Health Council of the Netherlands are present during the horizon scan.
The horizon scan meetings consist of presentations and discussions of research programmes, the status of clinical studies, and the development of new vaccines by pharmaceutical companies. This way, RIVM gains insight into which vaccines may become available in the future and what potential impact they may have on public health. This allows RIVM to respond to developments and formulate an adequate vaccination policy in a timely fashion.
In addition to the horizon scan meetings, there is a Vaccine Advice Desk that pharmaceutical companies can turn to with questions about how the government views vaccine-related matters. The desk provides information and advice on vaccination policy in the Netherlands and serves as a point of contact for obtaining general information about it. You can reach the desk at loketvaccinadvies@rivm.nl.