in Corsica, the flu vaccination rate is falling

While the 2024 flu is particularly bad, vaccination rates have never been lower. A worrying trend, especially since it is calculated on populations at risk, those over 65 and those under 65 who are vulnerable. In Corsica, dropout is particularly significant.

At the Bastelicaccia health center, that day, the day was full of appointments. In the waiting room, several people are over 65 years old.

For them, flu vaccination is recommended and reimbursed by social security. But not everyone wants to take advantage of it. “I got vaccinated for Covid once, and now I don’t want another vaccine injected into my body”, explains one of the patients.

At the end of the first campaign, at the end of November 2024, flu vaccination among people at risk fell by another 3 points compared to last year.

First explanation: “Since the attending physicians are no longer on the front line in monitoring and vaccination and we have left that in the hands of the patient with the help of private nurses and pharmacists, this patient does not necessarily make the decision to get vaccinated on your own”estimates Augustin Vallet, general practitioner.

But the Covid sequence has also been there: vaccination with all its might, controversies over vaccines, over government policy, disinformation from Didier Raoult who has since been banned from exercising…

The impact of the period on vaccination, including flu, can be seen in the national figures across the South East. “The flu vaccination coverage rate was approximately stable, or even slightly increasing, until the Covid period. During the 2020-2021 Covid season, it had increased significantly, since then, it has been decreasing all different seasons”, explains Guillaume Heuzé of Public Health France.

This is particularly true in Corsica. Since 2017, the flu vaccination rate for the target population has continued to decline. Finally, in 2017, the gap between the national average and Corsica was 4 points. It widened further and doubled in 2024.

At the regional health agency, we want to be reassuring. “We bring together all the professionals concerned by this vaccination issue and we pass on the messages again. We ask them again about good practices, or about the awareness-raising actions which they believe are most likely to convince these populations at risk to be vaccinated.”, supports Matthieu Mechain, deputy director of the structure.

The only positive point is that in EHPADs, vaccination coverage exceeds 80% in Corsica.