03-07-2025
Measles : Dutch health officials sound alarm over low vaccination rates among Moroccan families
The Dutch National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) has raised the alarm over declining vaccination rates among Moroccan parents living in the Netherlands, contributing to a concerning rise in measles cases.
In a recent report, RIVM stated that since 2013, vaccination coverage among children of Moroccan background has dropped significantly, from 95% to 65%. A similar trend has been observed among Turkish parents in the Netherlands, with coverage among children of Turkish background falling from 96% to 79%.
This decline has resulted in more than 100 hospitalizations, mostly involving unvaccinated children, and a total of 437 confirmed measles cases so far this year, more than double last year's figure of 204. Experts stress that a vaccination rate above 95% is necessary to prevent outbreaks.
The trend is especially pronounced in urban areas with large Moroccan and Turkish populations, such as The Hague, where some neighborhoods report coverage as low as 60%. According to Hilbert Bredemeijer, The Hague's Alderman for Education, Youth, Sports, and Services, growing distrust in government, misinformation, language barriers, and peer pressure are key factors driving vaccine hesitancy.
Moroccan families are of particular concern, as Morocco itself has seen a sharp rise in measles cases, prompting a national vaccination campaign. The country has reported 20,000 cases over the past year and a half.
In the Netherlands, many measles cases have been linked to infections imported from Morocco.
