The flu is actively circulating in France. Public Health France is recording an increase in numerous indicators, notably that of visits to emergency rooms by children.
Written on 16/01/2025
Allodocteurs – Newen France
The winter flu epidemic has intensified in cities in France and has generated a “very high hospital activity” and one “clear increase in deaths” the second week of the year, Public Health France (SPF) indicated this Wednesday, January 15.
The week from January 6 to 12 was marked by a “marked severity of the epidemic”which reached a “high level of intensity in all age groups”according to the weekly bulletin published by the health agency.
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Children particularly affected
The dynamics diverge according to age groups: influenza has progressed in primary care among those under 65 and particularly among children. But it slowed slightly among people aged 65 and over.
In hospitals, visits to emergency rooms and hospitalizations of children under five years old for flu or influenza-like illness have increased significantly. But those of people in all other age groups have fallen, while remaining at “a very high level of intensity”.
611 flu-related deaths in one week
And the share of deaths with a mention of flu among all electronically certified deaths continued to increase (7.3% compared to 5.9% the previous week), “indicating a marked severity of the epidemic”. This represents 611 deaths in the week ending January 12.
This share of deaths due to influenza even climbs to 12.4% in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, 9.4% in the Grand Est, 9.2% in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and 7.9% in Hauts-de-France and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, said the health agency.
Three strains of the virus are circulating, A (H1N1), A (H3N2) and B/Victoria.
Insufficient vaccination coverage
Overseas, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Guyana are in the epidemic phase, Mayotte in the pre-epidemic phase. Facing traffic “intense” of the flu and its impact on hospitals, the Ministry of Health called for “great vigilance” pour “protect the most vulnerable”, ensuring that there will be enough doses to vaccinate until the end of January.
As of November 30, influenza vaccination coverage was 35.2% among all people targeted for vaccination, 41% among people aged 65 and over, and 19% among those aged under 65 years old at risk of severe flu, according to SPF figures.
These vaccination coverages are lower than those estimated for the 2023-2024 season on the same date, specifies the health agency.
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