[High vaccination coverage of the National Immunization Programme in the Netherlands].
OBJECTIVE
To describe vaccination coverage of the National Immunization Programme (NIP) in the Netherlands for the years 2006-2008.


METHODS
Descriptive, retrospective.


METHODS
Vaccination coverage was determined per vaccination and birth cohort based on data from the vaccination-registration system 'Praeventis'. This new system enables more accurate testing for compatibility with NIP guidelines. Furthermore, it was determined on an individual level whether the desired vaccination status was reached before a certain target age (1, 2, 5 or 10 years).


RESULTS
In the final year reported, all national vaccination percentages came up to the WHO standards. Vaccination coverage for babies ranged from 94.5% for diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and polio (DTaP-IPV) to 96.0% for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR). The coverage for toddlers and school-aged children was over 90% for each of the vaccinations. In 5 of the 12 Dutch provinces and 128 of the 443 municipalities, one or more vaccination percentages were below the standard of 90%. Vaccination coverage for the second MMR vaccination and for hepatitis B vaccination in children of whom one or both parents were born in a country where the incidence of hepatitis B is higher than average, was relatively low (92.5% and 90.7%, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Vaccination coverage in the Netherlands is high. In general, vaccination coverage for toddlers and school-aged children requires extra attention. This applies in particular to the second MMR vaccination and to vaccination in children of whom one or both parents were born in a country where the incidence of hepatitis B is higher than average.
van Lier
E Alies
EA
Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu, Centrum Infectieziektebestrijding, Bilthoven. alies.van.lier@rivm.nl
Oomen
Petra J
PJ
Oostenbrug
M W M
MW
Zwakhals
S L N
SL
Drijfhout
Ingrid H
IH
de Hoogh
Pieter A A M
PA
de Melker
Hester E
HE
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D037141:Mandatory Programs; D009426:Netherlands; D012041:Regional Medical Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*