Nearly 6,000 more flu-related deaths this year in Belgium

In the first four months of this year, there were 41,479 flu-related deaths in Belgium, 5,827 more than in the same period in 2014, or an increase of 16%, report various Belgian media based on figures from the National Register. The cold winter and an inadequate vaccine contributed to the sharp increase, according to virologist Marc Van Ranst.

"There were significantly more cases of flu this year compared to last year," explains Van Ranst. "The World Health Organization (WHO), admitted during a meeting in February that a sub-optimal choice was made for one of the vaccine’s three ingredients, the H3N2-component, resulting in a less efficient vaccine. These things can happen, usually once every seven or eight years."

Van Ranst adds that the "excess mortality" rate at the beginning of the year should balance out over the course of the year. "And from the end of September another vaccine will come on the market that will provide better protection against the flu,” he says.