Soon after your baby arrives, the consultatiebureau hands you a vaccinatieschema dense with acronyms, DKTP, Hib, BMR, PCV, and a string of dates. It’s the Rijksvaccinatieprogramma (RVP), the Dutch childhood-vaccination programme. Here is what it is, which shots your child gets and when, and the words on the letters.
What the RVP is
As the official Rijksvaccinatieprogramma site sets out the schedule, the RVP is the national immunisation programme, run by the RIVM and delivered through the GGD and the consultatiebureau. It offers children a fixed series of free vaccinations from birth to age 14, and you get automatic invitations (uitnodigingen) for each round.
The baby schedule, decoded
The acronyms aren’t as scary once unpacked. As GGD vaccination pages explain the RVP for children:
| Age | Vaccine | Against |
|---|---|---|
| 6 wks, 3, 5 mths | DKTP-Hib-HepB | diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, Hib, hepatitis B |
| 3 + 11 mths | PCV (pneumokokken) | pneumococcal disease |
| ~14 mths | BMR + MenACWY/Men C | measles, mumps, rubella + meningococcal |
Boosters and later shots (including HPV for older children) follow on the same programme. The DKTP and BMR labels are the two you’ll hear most, as midwife guidance on the RVP confirms.
It’s free, and voluntary
Two reassurances:
- Free: all RVP vaccinations are free up to age 18, funded by the government, with no claim on your eigen risico. Unlike most Dutch healthcare, these cost you nothing.
- Voluntary: participation is your choice, but uptake is high and it’s a routine part of Dutch childhood.
Moved here mid-schedule?
If your child was born abroad or arrived part-way through the schedule, they don’t miss out: the GGD arranges an inhaalprogramma (catch-up programme) to bring them up to date. Bring any vaccination records from your home country to your first consultatiebureau or GGD appointment, the doctor compares them to the Dutch vaccinatieschema and gives only the shots your child still needs, so nothing is doubled up and nothing is skipped.
The vocabulary
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| het Rijksvaccinatieprogramma (RVP) | national immunisation programme |
| de vaccinatie / de prik | vaccination / “the jab” |
| het vaccinatieschema | vaccination schedule |
| de uitnodiging | invitation (letter) |
| het consultatiebureau | child health clinic |
| de inenting | immunisation |
Where it connects
The RVP runs alongside the other early-childhood touchpoints, the consultatiebureau check-ups, the verloskundige and birth, claiming kinderbijslag, and a VVE indicatie if offered. For when your child is genuinely unwell, that’s the apotheek and drogist world instead.
The bottom line
The Rijksvaccinatieprogramma is the Dutch childhood-vaccination programme: free, run by the RIVM via the GGD/consultatiebureau, with automatic uitnodigingen. Babies get DKTP-Hib-HepB (around 6 weeks, 3 and 5 months) plus PCV, then BMR and meningococcal around 14 months, with later boosters. It costs nothing and is voluntary. Learn prik, vaccinatieschema and uitnodiging, and the acronym-filled schedule turns into a clear, manageable calendar.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the children’s-health Dutch you’ll meet, Rijksvaccinatieprogramma, prik, uitnodiging, vaccinatieschema by real situation in five-minute lessons, so you can follow your child’s vaccination letters confidently instead of decoding acronyms under stress.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Rijksvaccinatieprogramma (RVP)?
The RVP is the Dutch national immunisation programme, run by the RIVM and delivered through the GGD and the consultatiebureau. It offers children a series of free vaccinations on a fixed schedule from birth to age 14, protecting against serious infectious diseases. You receive automatic invitations (uitnodigingen) for each round. Participation is free and voluntary, but the uptake is high and it’s a normal part of Dutch childhood.
Which vaccinations does a Dutch baby get and when?
Babies get the DKTP-Hib-HepB combination vaccine (against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, Hib and hepatitis B), given around 6 weeks, 3 and 5 months, plus the pneumococcal (PCV) vaccine. Around 14 months comes the BMR (against measles, mumps and rubella) together with the meningococcal C vaccine. Boosters and other vaccinations (like HPV) follow at older ages, all on the RVP schedule.
Are the RVP vaccinations free?
Yes, completely. All vaccinations within the Rijksvaccinatieprogramma are free for children up to and including 18, funded by the Dutch government, with no out-of-pocket cost and no claim on your eigen risico. You’re sent automatic invitations and the shots are given at the GGD or consultatiebureau. So unlike many other healthcare costs, the standard childhood vaccinations don’t cost you anything.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for children’s health and the doctor?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the children’s-health Dutch you’ll meet, Rijksvaccinatieprogramma, prik, uitnodiging, vaccinatieschema, in five-minute lessons built around real situations, so you can follow your child’s vaccination letters confidently instead of decoding acronyms under stress.
