The Netherlands is officially in the grip of a flu epidemic, as the number of people who visited their family doctor with flu-like symptoms rises for two weeks in a row.

To qualify as an epidemic, at least 46 people per 100,000 need to report having the symptoms. This number has been topped over the past two weeks, with 51 and 59 people per 100,000 coming forward, public health monitor RIVM said.

The health care system is not likely to be overwhelmed, the RIVM said. However, hospitals can help contain the spread, for instance by putting patients with flu on the same ward. People who have flu are advised to stay home.

The epidemic has caused problems locally, with a hospital in Dordrecht having to postpone all but the most urgent operations due to an influx of patients with flu.

This year’s epidemic started a fortnight later than last year’s. In 2025, the epidemic peaked at the start of February with 118 people per 100,000 felled by the flu and had petered out by the end of March.

In the Netherlands, everyone over the age of 60 is offered a vaccination against flu, as are people who have vulnerable health issues. The take up rate hovers around 55%.