Flu jab uptake stalls at half of those invited
New figures again show wide differences between age groups and medical risk groups.
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Of the people in the Netherlands who received an invitation from their GP for a flu jab in 2025, 54 per cent were vaccinated. People under 60 with a medical indication lagged furthest behind: 27 per cent of them were vaccinated.
The figures come from Nivel’s annual monitor, conducted on behalf of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). Vaccination uptake among those invited therefore remained roughly the same as in 2024. Overall, 21 per cent of the Dutch population were vaccinated through their GP.
There are wide differences within the target group. Among people aged 60 and over with a medical indication, vaccination uptake was 68 per cent. Among people under 60 with such an indication, it was 27 per cent. RIVM based the monitor on anonymised data from more than 920,000 patients at 210 GP practices.
The percentage does not mean that exactly half of all people in the Netherlands receive an invitation. Invitations go to people aged 60 and over and to people with certain conditions that increase the risk of complications from influenza. Those outside these groups are not included in this calculation.
According to RIVM, the flu jab reduces the risk of flu and of serious consequences from it. In a factsheet on the 2023–2024 season, average protection against hospitalisation due to influenza is estimated at around 40 per cent. That is an estimate based on several studies, not a guarantee for every vaccinated person.
The figures also do not directly predict the current season. The 2025 vaccination uptake describes the previous campaign, while invitations for autumn 2026 are now being sent out. Effectiveness also partly depends on how closely the vaccine composition matches the viruses that will circulate.
RIVM advises people who belong to the target group to discuss the invitation with their GP. The jab is generally given between mid-October and the end of November; after vaccination, it takes about two weeks for sufficient immunity to build up. This information is general public information and not personal medical advice.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- In 2025, 54 per cent of people who were invited received the flu jab.
- Vaccination uptake was much lower among younger people with a medical indication than among older risk groups.
- The flu vaccination programme targets groups at increased risk of complications.
Left
Arguments The government should lower barriers further, for example by offering vaccination more actively through community care, pharmacies and employers.
Values Equal access, prevention and protection of vulnerable people.
Consequences Greater public investment could increase participation, but would require additional money and staff.
Centre
Arguments Targeted information and better invitations are wiser than a general requirement. It must first become clear why certain groups drop out.
Values Proportionality, trust and effective healthcare.
Consequences A targeted approach limits costs, but may improve low participation among some groups only slowly.
Right
Arguments Adults should ultimately decide for themselves about vaccination; the government should primarily provide reliable information and not keep shifting more healthcare into public programmes.
Values Personal responsibility, freedom of choice and restrained government intervention.
Consequences This keeps the administrative burden limited, but may mean that participation among risk groups remains low.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The key figures can be found directly at RIVM and Nivel. The text clearly distinguishes between historical estimates of effectiveness and the current vaccination campaign.
- confirmed In 2025, 54 per cent of people who were invited received the flu jab. — RIVM and Nivel report this percentage. source
- confirmed Vaccination uptake among people aged 60 and over with a medical indication was 68 per cent. — This is stated in the RIVM monitor. source
- confirmed Vaccination uptake among people under 60 with a medical indication was 27 per cent. — This percentage appears in the Nivel publication and the RIVM monitor. source
- confirmed Protection against hospitalisation is estimated at around 40 per cent in an RIVM factsheet. — The factsheet gives an average estimate based on previous seasons. source
Editor's note
The vaccination figures are strongly supported by RIVM and Nivel. The estimate of around 40 per cent protection against hospitalisation comes from an earlier factsheet and does not describe an effect measurement from the current campaign.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „griep griepprik”
- AD — „griep griepprik”
- de Volkskrant — „griep griepprik”