Vaccination Day in Ahoy: The Shocking Decline in Childhood Vaccination Rates in The Hague

ANPKchildren are vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, polio (DTP), mumps, measles and rubella (MMR) during a vaccination day in Ahoy.

NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 06:37

• Sander Zurhake

  healthcare editor

• Sander Zurhake

  healthcare editor

In The Hague, the vaccination rate among children is plummeting for twelve serious infectious diseases such as measles, mumps, whooping cough and polio. Citywide, vaccination rates have fallen by 10 percentage points since 2020.

A similar trend is visible in the three other major cities, but in The Hague, for the first time, the minimum necessary vaccination rate of 90 percent has not been achieved in any district, according to district figures from GGD Haaglanden.

In four districts, only a vaccination rate of between 59 and 69 percent is achieved. For measles, a vaccination rate of 95 percent is needed to prevent outbreaks. This concerns the Vegetable and Fruit Market, Transvaalskwartier, Schildersbuurt and the center districts.

Not just poorer neighborhoods

In these relatively poorer parts of the city, willingness to vaccinate has historically always been significantly lower. “That has always been a major concern of ours,” says councilor Hilbert Bredemeijer. “But we are now seeing for the first time that skepticism or mistrust of vaccination has become a city-wide problem.”

Because the vaccination rate has also fallen sharply in neighborhoods such as the Zeehelden and Regentessekwartier, where mainly people with a higher income live, to 75 and 77 percent.

The pandemic effect

The municipality and the GGD suspect that the fierce social debate about the safety and usefulness of the corona vaccines has sown doubt among people who supported vaccines for children a few years ago.

“We as a society apparently no longer understand why we are doing it,” says Bredemeijer. “Measles is an almost forgotten disease, but it can have serious consequences, especially for small children, from eye infections to possibly even meningitis.”

The decline in the number of vaccinations for newborns and toddlers is less sharp than for school-age children (10 years old). Apparently, relatively many parents still consider it important to protect their small children against, among other things, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and polio. Yet here too, the declining vaccination rate is clearly visible.

NOSThe vaccinations against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and polio in preschoolers are declining significantly, but not as sharply as the vaccinations for older children.

Parents are apparently significantly less concerned about the repeat injection for diphtheria, tetanus and polio in 10-year-olds. In neighborhoods where the vaccination rate has historically always been low, such as the Center and the Laakkwartier, the vaccination rate is around 62 percent.

The municipality finds this extra worrying because many children grow up in these neighborhoods and there may therefore be a greater risk of outbreaks.

NOSThe repeat injection (booster) for diphtheria, tetanus and polio for 10-year-olds appears to be less important to parents. The vaccination rate has fallen sharply throughout The Hague for several years.

This is no different for the repeat injections against mumps, measles and rubella. Also in neighborhoods such as the Zeehelden and Regentessekwartier, the vaccination rate among 10-year-olds is far too low to rule out outbreaks: 77 and 70 percent.

NOSThe vaccination rate against mumps, measles and rubella among school-age children (10 years old) has decreased sharply in all neighborhoods of The Hague. This is a selection of the 44 neighborhoods in The Hague.

The councilor is surprised that despite these figures there have been no outbreaks of infectious diseases. “It seems to me just a matter of time before it happens. Actually, with the current situation, that is certain for me.”

The municipality is therefore announcing a series of measures. Since the beginning of this year, children in The Hague have been able to receive a vaccine at all nine locations of the Center for Youth and Family. Previously, this was only possible in one’s own district. This should prevent parents from having to wait too long with their children.

In addition, the municipality wants to invest in more injection options, especially in neighborhoods where many children live.

Information provided in collaboration with key figures, such as imams, should also make a difference. These people sometimes appear to be able to get through to people who are against vaccinations for religious reasons or distrust of science or government. GGD Haaglanden will take on that task more emphatically.

Groups difficult to convince

Bredemeijer hopes that the measures will help sufficiently, but acknowledges that the issue is complicated. “New groups have now emerged. These include people who are highly educated, interpret the science themselves and then think they know better. How are we supposed to convince them? That is extremely complicated.”

He advocates that the cabinet, whether outgoing or not, start a major public campaign. “This is happening throughout the country. We have to explain to everyone again how much the vaccinations have meant to our health since the introduction of the National Vaccination Program in 1957. Diseases such as polio and measles have disappeared from the streets.”

2024-03-14 05:37:01
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