The peak of the influenza epidemic has not yet been reached in Brussels, still in Orange code, but there is no question of distributing masks

At the national level, the trend seems more favorable. According to Sciensano, the flu epidemic seems to have reached a tray, suggesting that the peak could be behind us at the national level. The transmission of the flu seems to slow down in the nursing homes and the situation stabilizes at hospitals. However, Brussels is distinguished from the rest of Belgium by having not yet taken this stage. “”We can say that we are not yet at the peak of the epidemic in Brussels, even if the figures are based on a small sample “Este Vivalis, the administration of health and assistance for people in the Brussels region.

“We remain attentive”

In response to this situation, the Brussels Region does not provide for a massive distribution of masks, unlike other cities, such as Braine-l’Alleud in Walloon Brabant, which had announced this Wednesday that it launched a distribution of masks to large scale for its residents. According to the cabinet of the Brussels Minister of Health, Alain Maron, the health recommendations remain unchanged and no large -scale measurement within the Brussels region, such as the distribution of masks, is not envisaged for the moment. “”We are obviously attentive to the evolution of this flu epidemic “.

Despite these few positive signs, the Brussels authorities continue to follow the situation closely. They await the next recommendations for Risk Management Group (RMG), which defines the seriousness of the situation, to determine the measures to be taken. Since this RMG has maintained the situation at the organ level, the measures remain identical and are only limited to recommendations vis-à-vis the population. The masks are therefore recommended in public transport, public spaces and within hospitals, but Brussels residents must go to pharmacy to buy their own masks.

As a reminder, around 53 % of people over 65 were vaccinated against flu in the Brussels region this winter. If this rate is increasing slightly compared to 2023, it remains far from the expected standards, since the vaccination coverage target was 75 %.