Hay fever season arriving early this year

11/04/2019 15:00

In 2019, people suffering from hay fever have bought their pollen allergy medication relatively early in the year. The first peak in purchases of hay fever medication was already reached between February and early March, more than one month earlier than in previous years. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of new sales figures of hay fever medication, as reflected in the hay fever index.

[video: https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/video/3032dbf96e9a495ab32618a001bfc125]

CBS published the hay fever index for the first time in the spring of 2018. This index shows how the hay fever season progresses on the basis of pharmacy sales of hay fever medication. Last year, turnover of hay fever medication showed a higher peak than in previous years, partly because of the warm weather in April.

In the chart below, the turnover index shows the development of weekly sales of hay fever medication relative to the average weekly turnover in 2016. The same chart displays the changing count of allergenic pollen in the air. It also shows the pollen counts - measured by Elkerliek Hospital - of tree and plant varieties which trigger moderate, severe or very severe allergic reactions such as the hazelnut tree, alder, birch, Poaceae, Rumex, Plantago, Cedar of Lebanon, Artemisia and Ambrosia. Peaks in the sale of over-the-counter medication for the treatment of hay fever are found to coincide, more or less, with airborne pollen counts.

Turnover in hay fever medication and pollen concentrations in the air
		Turnover index medication	Most allergenic pollen
2016	1	26.5	24
2016	2	23.4	3
2016	3	22.4	13
2016	4	24.3	107
2016	5	27.5	1013
2016	6	32.9	269
2016	7	30.0	263
2016	8	35.2	179
2016	9	34.9	133
2016	10	65.9	276
2016	11	95.3	303
2016	12	73.4	199
2016	13	92.4	42
2016	14	134.7	1177
2016	15	228.4	3475
2016	16	179.9	363
2016	17	108.6	282
2016	18	326.3	711
2016	19	373.3	231
2016	20	182.9	204
2016	21	259.7	85
2016	22	510.4	506
2016	23	561.1	563
2016	24	159.9	39
2016	25	142.1	167
2016	26	113.0	0
2016	27	135.2	510
2016	28	119.1	195
2016	29	123.0	181
2016	30	88.4	16
2016	31	68.7	68
2016	32	62.1	98
2016	33	67.7	82
2016	34	65.1	105
2016	35	57.2	73
2016	36	54.5	102
2016	37	53.3	44
2016	38	51.8	48
2016	39	44.7	71
2016	40	41.7	9
2016	41	31.2	9
2016	42	32.1	3
2016	43	28.1	1
2016	44	25.4	0
2016	45	22.5	1
2016	46	21.4	1
2016	47	23.6	1
2016	48	22.4	0
2016	49	20.7	0
2016	50	22.5	0
2016	51	27.2	0
2016	52	26.6	6
2017	1	24.9	6
2017	2	22.5	21
2017	3	22.1	7
2017	4	24.9	10
2017	5	25.9	18
2017	6	23.0	3
2017	7	31.2	351
2017	8	40.4	880
2017	9	53.8	150
2017	10	65.3	47
2017	11	111.3	124
2017	12	110.7	9
2017	13	221.3	2623
2017	14	184.8	1017
2017	15	172.5	381
2017	16	120.8	143
2017	17	115.3	93
2017	18	126.7	64
2017	19	144.7	26
2017	20	171.5	171
2017	21	420.1
2017	22	505.9	290
2017	23	272.9	307
2017	24	297.9	139
2017	25	238.0	235
2017	26	126.0	122
2017	27	129.6	156
2017	28	103.7	81
2017	29	109.3	25
2017	30	83.3	64
2017	31	73.9	50
2017	32	62.6	63
2017	33	56.9	65
2017	34	64.6	62
2017	35	56.0	26
2017	36	44.3	7
2017	37	36.0	25
2017	38	37.7	31
2017	39	33.9	17
2017	40	30.5	20
2017	41	30.5	6
2017	42	30.1	1
2017	43	30.6	1
2017	44	30.2	1
2017	45	27.4	0
2017	46	24.9	0
2017	47	25.7	0
2017	48	25.5	0
2017	49	21.9	3
2017	50	32.9	0
2017	51	42.9	2
2017	52	42.4	48
2018	1	29.1	5
2018	2	27.2	70
2018	3	25.9	23
2018	4	31.8	143
2018	5	34.4	60
2018	6	31.2	143
2018	7	33.1	262
2018	8	38.3	217
2018	9	33.5	84
2018	10	58.9	1054
2018	11	83.3	237
2018	12	66.7	42
2018	13	78.5	8
2018	14	126.1	330
2018	15	263.2	3709
2018	16	540.1	4398
2018	17	257.8	380
2018	18	231.0	45
2018	19	293.7	88
2018	20	204.9	120
2018	21	607.4	661
2018	22	452.5	742
2018	23	302.0	318
2018	24	203.2	312
2018	25	138.1	189
2018	26	168.9	281
2018	27	169.7	236
2018	28	110.2	124
2018	29	117.2	61
2018	30	92.5	145
2018	31	75.0	96
2018	32	57.6	100
2018	33	49.3	11
2018	34	46.1	14
2018	35	44.1	28
2018	36	37.4	61
2018	37	36.9	86
2018	38	37.4	62
2018	39	34.8	18
2018	40	30.6	4
2018	41	29.5	6
2018	42	35.4	3
2018	43	33.2	6
2018	44	31.4	2
2018	45	28.4	0
2018	46	25.9	0
2018	47	28.4	3
2018	48	27.1	0
2018	49	25.0	1
2018	50	26.6	0
2018	51	33.0	10
2018	52	41.5	49
2019	1	38.3	49
2019	2	30.1	3
2019	3	35.5	54
2019	4	31.8	12
2019	5	31.9	22
2019	6	32.5	157
2019	7	100.4	4915
2019	8	258.1	4242
2019	9	279.9	1366
2019	10	91.2	75
Source: CBS, Elkerliek hospital

Turnover in hay fever medication and pollen concentrations in the air
		Turnover index medication	Most allergenic pollen
2016	1	26.5	24
2016	2	23.4	3
2016	3	22.4	13
2016	4	24.3	107
2016	5	27.5	1013
2016	6	32.9	269
2016	7	30.0	263
2016	8	35.2	179
2016	9	34.9	133
2016	10	65.9	276
2016	11	95.3	303
2016	12	73.4	199
2016	13	92.4	42
2016	14	134.7	1177
2016	15	228.4	3475
2016	16	179.9	363
2016	17	108.6	282
2016	18	326.3	711
2016	19	373.3	231
2016	20	182.9	204
2016	21	259.7	85
2016	22	510.4	506
2016	23	561.1	563
2016	24	159.9	39
2016	25	142.1	167
2016	26	113.0	0
2016	27	135.2	510
2016	28	119.1	195
2016	29	123.0	181
2016	30	88.4	16
2016	31	68.7	68
2016	32	62.1	98
2016	33	67.7	82
2016	34	65.1	105
2016	35	57.2	73
2016	36	54.5	102
2016	37	53.3	44
2016	38	51.8	48
2016	39	44.7	71
2016	40	41.7	9
2016	41	31.2	9
2016	42	32.1	3
2016	43	28.1	1
2016	44	25.4	0
2016	45	22.5	1
2016	46	21.4	1
2016	47	23.6	1
2016	48	22.4	0
2016	49	20.7	0
2016	50	22.5	0
2016	51	27.2	0
2016	52	26.6	6
2017	1	24.9	6
2017	2	22.5	21
2017	3	22.1	7
2017	4	24.9	10
2017	5	25.9	18
2017	6	23.0	3
2017	7	31.2	351
2017	8	40.4	880
2017	9	53.8	150
2017	10	65.3	47
2017	11	111.3	124
2017	12	110.7	9
2017	13	221.3	2623
2017	14	184.8	1017
2017	15	172.5	381
2017	16	120.8	143
2017	17	115.3	93
2017	18	126.7	64
2017	19	144.7	26
2017	20	171.5	171
2017	21	420.1
2017	22	505.9	290
2017	23	272.9	307
2017	24	297.9	139
2017	25	238.0	235
2017	26	126.0	122
2017	27	129.6	156
2017	28	103.7	81
2017	29	109.3	25
2017	30	83.3	64
2017	31	73.9	50
2017	32	62.6	63
2017	33	56.9	65
2017	34	64.6	62
2017	35	56.0	26
2017	36	44.3	7
2017	37	36.0	25
2017	38	37.7	31
2017	39	33.9	17
2017	40	30.5	20
2017	41	30.5	6
2017	42	30.1	1
2017	43	30.6	1
2017	44	30.2	1
2017	45	27.4	0
2017	46	24.9	0
2017	47	25.7	0
2017	48	25.5	0
2017	49	21.9	3
2017	50	32.9	0
2017	51	42.9	2
2017	52	42.4	48
2018	1	29.1	5
2018	2	27.2	70
2018	3	25.9	23
2018	4	31.8	143
2018	5	34.4	60
2018	6	31.2	143
2018	7	33.1	262
2018	8	38.3	217
2018	9	33.5	84
2018	10	58.9	1054
2018	11	83.3	237
2018	12	66.7	42
2018	13	78.5	8
2018	14	126.1	330
2018	15	263.2	3709
2018	16	540.1	4398
2018	17	257.8	380
2018	18	231.0	45
2018	19	293.7	88
2018	20	204.9	120
2018	21	607.4	661
2018	22	452.5	742
2018	23	302.0	318
2018	24	203.2	312
2018	25	138.1	189
2018	26	168.9	281
2018	27	169.7	236
2018	28	110.2	124
2018	29	117.2	61
2018	30	92.5	145
2018	31	75.0	96
2018	32	57.6	100
2018	33	49.3	11
2018	34	46.1	14
2018	35	44.1	28
2018	36	37.4	61
2018	37	36.9	86
2018	38	37.4	62
2018	39	34.8	18
2018	40	30.6	4
2018	41	29.5	6
2018	42	35.4	3
2018	43	33.2	6
2018	44	31.4	2
2018	45	28.4	0
2018	46	25.9	0
2018	47	28.4	3
2018	48	27.1	0
2018	49	25.0	1
2018	50	26.6	0
2018	51	33.0	10
2018	52	41.5	49
2019	1	38.3	49
2019	2	30.1	3
2019	3	35.5	54
2019	4	31.8	12
2019	5	31.9	22
2019	6	32.5	157
2019	7	100.4	4915
2019	8	258.1	4242
2019	9	279.9	1366
2019	10	91.2	75
Source: CBS, Elkerliek hospital

High pollen concentrations in February

A sharp increase in concentrations of alder and hazelnut pollen in particular was measured in February, following a week with relatively high temperatures. This immediately led to increased sales of hay fever medication, which lasted for several weeks. Sales dropped again at the beginning of March, when pollen concentrations in the air had decreased significantly.

Turnover of hay fever medication

The hay fever index - the turnover index of hay fever medication - is based on weekly sales figures obtained from Dutch pharmacies. This involves self-medication products which are available without prescription at a pharmacy. This type of medication is in the form of tablets, nasal sprays or eye drops which relieve allergic reactions. These weekly data have been processed by the CBS Centre for Big Data Statistics (CBDS) into a weekly turnover index of hay fever medication. The turnover index is not designed to provide the total sales volume of hay fever medication in the Netherlands, but to give more insight into the development of the hay fever season and the purchasing moments of consumers, based on developments in weekly sales.

Sources

Innovation - Hay fever index