Poliomyelitis in the Netherlands 1958-69: the influence of a vaccination programme with inactivated poliovaccine.

  • 1 January 1972
    • journal article
    • Vol. 46  (6) , 735-45
Abstract
The Netherlands is one of the few countries where poliomyelitis vaccination is practised with inactivated vaccine. Vaccinations started in 1957 and since 1962 have been carried out with a diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-poliomyelitis vaccine according to a fixed schedule. The overall acceptance rate has been over 90%.Since 1957 the poliomyelitis morbidity has decreased by more than 99% in fully vaccinated persons and by 60-80% among nonvaccinated persons. The latter reduction probably resulted from a decrease in the amount of virus circulating after the vaccination campaign had started. The rather unequal distribution of acceptance rates allowed for a more detailed examination, which showed a relation between acceptance rates and morbidity figures. The morbidity pattern is now characterized by a few local outbreaks among nonvaccinated subjects in areas with low vaccination rates, and by the virtual disappearance of the disease in the rest of the country.