The vaccination coverage among children aged two to five years and the HPV vaccination among girls shows a slight increase in Utrecht. The percentage of vaccinated children aged ten years seems to be stabilizing. However, the increase cannot be seen in every Utrecht neighborhood.
Of the two-year-olds in Utrecht, 95.3 percent were vaccinated against measles and 92.5 percent took the MMR vaccination (thus also against mumps and rubella). That was 91.8 percent in 2019. The vaccination rate also increased slightly among five-year-olds in Utrecht (93.7 percent). That is the first time in four years.
The percentage of ten-year-olds who have received DPTP vaccination (diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio) appears to be stabilizing in most areas of the city. In Leidsche Rijn, Zuidwest and Overvecht, vaccination coverage is still falling. The same goes for ten-year-olds with a MMR vaccination.
In neighborhoods with a lower percentage of vaccinations, such as Overvecht, Binnenstad and Zuidwest, the municipality tries to enter into dialogue with parents and professionals, among others. For example, they want to investigate why the vaccination coverage is lower in these neighborhoods. The aim is to reduce health inequalities in the city of Utrecht.
Vaccination against HPV is also on the increase
The number of girls in Utrecht with a vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV) increased slightly (55.4 percent). The vaccination coverage varies widely in the different neighborhoods. Of the teenage girls in Overvecht, 26.6 percent were vaccinated, while this increased to 78.1 percent in the Noordoost district.
The vaccination coverage in Utrecht against meningococcal ACWY, a new vaccine that has been given since 2018, is comparable to that in other large cities in the Netherlands. That is an average of 74.4 percent in Utrecht. The national average is higher, at 86 percent. Since this year, the vaccine has been included in the government’s vaccination program.
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