In its latest situation update published this Thursday, December 26, Public Health France warns of a sharp increase in “flu indicators in town and in hospitals in all age groups.”
In the middle of the holiday season, the flu is gaining ground in France. The latest bulletin from Public Health France, published this Thursday, December 26, points to a “sharp increase in all flu indicators in the city and in hospitals, in all age groups.”
The health agency notes that “all regions” of France are affected by the epidemic which has therefore progressed significantly over the last seven days.
“Children under 15 were the most affected in town and in hospital, but a marked increase in visits to emergency rooms and hospitalizations among people aged 65 was observed,” specifies Public Health France.
Elderly people, “particularly vulnerable”
In recent days, the number of flu-related deaths has increased. “All of these indicators reveal a circulation of influenza viruses which is intensifying within the general population and which particularly affects the oldest people, who are particularly vulnerable to influenza,” continue health authorities.
However, there is nothing alarming about Public Health France which indicates that, “compared to the five previous influenza epidemics, the level of activity was moderate for all ages combined.”
“This dynamic follows a relatively classic pattern,” notes Bruno Lina, professor of virology at Lyon University Hospital, to BFMTV. “We have an increase in the number of cases with children, who were the most affected at the start of the epidemic (…) Now, we actually risk seeing a shift towards older people. This is where we must be vigilant.”
The latter are in fact more vulnerable to the flu. “From the age of 60, there is a change called immunosenescence. Our immune system is less efficient. This is why we have more infections and that [celles-ci] are often more difficult to control”, explains Bruno Lina.
To protect yourself from the flu, vaccination remains the most effective tool. Pharmacy unions point to an acceleration of vaccination, allowing to make up for the delay at the start of winter. “We have two arms, there can be one [vaccin] for Covid, the other for the flu. This allows us to have a prevention strategy,” recalled the Minister of Health, Catherine Vautrin, this Wednesday.
For his part, the bronchiolitis epidemic is “decreasing” even if the epidemic is still active “in twelve regions of France, the Antilles, Guyana and Mayotte.” The disease was described as having “an intensity at a low level in comparison” with previous years.
