Chickenpox is a common, contagious childhood disease.
Those who have had it cannot get it again.
Young children with chickenpox usually have mild symptoms, such as a temperature, blisters and itching.
But chickenpox is a more serious problem in adults.
They are more likely to have complications, such as pneumonia.
A safe vaccine is available.
The State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport asked the Health Council of the Netherlands to advise...
whether this vaccine should be included in the National Immunisation Programme.
This involved a request for advice on the situation in both the European and Caribbean Netherlands...
i.e. the islands of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba.
The Health Council advises to vaccinate against chickenpox in the Caribbean Netherlands.
In the Caribbean Netherlands not all children get chickenpox, so they can still develop it later on as adults.
There are outbreaks every few years, with adults sometimes becoming seriously ill.
Vaccination of the population in the Caribbean Netherlands would prevent such outbreaks.
By using a combined vaccine against chickenpox, mumps, measles and rubella...
the number of injections in the National Vaccination Programme remains the same.
In addition, everyone in the Caribbean Netherlands who has not yet had chickenpox...
should be given a one-off opportunity to be vaccinated.
The situation is different in the European Netherlands.
Here, almost all children get a mild form of chickenpox before the age of five.
Therefore the disease hardly ever occurs in adults.
That is why the Health Council advises the State Secretary...
not to vaccinate against chickenpox in the European Netherlands.