Since Christmas, the flu has reached the epidemic stage in the Paca region. Admissions to emergency rooms have sharply increased, and so have the number of hospitalizations. Should we see a link with a low vaccination rate?
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Fever, headache, body aches, runny nose or scratchy throat… unfortunately we know the symptoms. The flu is back in France. According to the bulletin published on December 26 by Santé Publique France, all regions are in an epidemic. The Paca region entered at Christmas, and therefore began its second week.
During Christmas week, the incidence rate for influenza syndrome recorded by the Sentinels network rose to 307 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in Paca. It is the Var department which is the most affected. The indicators are increasing among community doctors and hospitals.
According to statistics from the Renal hospital laboratory network, 85% of cases are the influenza A virus, compared to 15% for influenza B.
During this time of holidays and family gatherings, the virus spreads particularly quickly. And all age groups convey it.
We had a lot of influenza A among young children. The symptoms are generally well tolerated, although fever peaks at 40°. On the other hand, fragile, elderly or sick people must be protected at all costs.
Joëlle Martinaux, general practitioner in Niceat France 3 Côte d’Azur
Over the same week, medical procedures carried out by SOS Médecins for influenza or influenza-like illness increased by 47% in the region. The number of visits to the emergency room for this reason increased by 84%. Even more serious, hospitalizations after a trip to the emergency room for the flu have more than doubled.
The flu vaccination campaign began on October 15, 2024. The High Health Authority particularly recommends that “people aged 65 and over“, to those “suffering from certain chronic illnesses“, “suffering from obesity” to “pregnant women“, or even to “those around infants under six months old” to get vaccinated against the flu.
But the vaccination rate remains “very weak“, according to Philippe Besset, the president of the Federation of Pharmaceutical Unions of France, interviewed by Franceinfo. And this, “even if there has been a slight increase in recent days“.
For her part, Doctor Joëlle Martinaux emphasizes the importance of this campaign: “We must continue to do this vaccination, because even if we catch a flu syndrome, it will be much weaker.”
If the Covid-19 virus remains at a low and stable level for the moment, the barrier gestures that we acquired at the peak of this epidemic are also very useful to protect ourselves from the flu.
Avoid confined atmospheres, ventilate rooms, wash your hands, wear a mask if you know you are contaminated, and refrain from visiting vulnerable people as long as you are coughing.
Finally, remember that rapid 3-in-1 tests now make it possible to diagnose flu, Covid, and even bronchiolitis in a single step. They are available in pharmacies.
