The bronchiolitis epidemic continued to grow in France last week, while the flu epidemic started slowly, Public Health France said on Wednesday in its weekly bulletin. In mainland France, the increase in flu indicators already observed in towns and hospitals and in most age groups the previous week continued.
But, last week they remained at “their basic level” in the majority of regions, with the exception of the Île-de-France regions (already moved to pre-epidemic in last week’s bulletin), Hauts- de-France and Normandy (passed into pre-epidemic this week).
Indicators linked to bronchiolitis were increasing in town and in hospitals. Five regions are now in pre-epidemic and seven in epidemic in France including Île-de-France, Hauts-de-France (in red) on the map below.
This season is marked by the deployment of two preventive treatments. Beyfortus from AstraZeneca and Sanofi on the one hand an antibody given directly to babies, which pediatricians consider not sufficiently reimbursed. And Pfizer’s Abrysvo, on the other hand, a vaccine administered before birth to pregnant women.
Beyfortus had already been the subject of an immunization campaign last year and studies agree to conclude that it limited the hospitalizations of babies in France and in the few other countries where it was tested.
Covid-19 indicators continued to decrease last week, both the positivity rate, the share among hospitalizations, clusters in nursing homes and medico-social establishments and for viral circulation in wastewater.
“Vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself against the flu and Covid-19, in particular serious forms of these diseases,” said Public Health France, emphasizing that “it is not too late”.
A combined vaccination campaign against flu and Covid began in mid-October for people at risk, but also for their entourage and caregivers.
