The flu epidemic is still affecting France but is showing a “sharp decline”, the public health agency said on Wednesday, also noting the end of the course of bronchiolitis and Covid-19.
From February 19 to 25, “In France, the flu epidemic continued and we saw a sharp drop in indicators for the second week in a row. Circulation of influenza virus, however, remained high,” summarized Public Health France in its bulletin on acute respiratory infections. Overseas, only Guyana and the West Indies were still struggling with the flu.
“Flu is sometimes surprising”
As for the flu epidemic, “we can currently consider that the peak has passed, but the flu is sometimes surprising”, declared on Tuesday the Scientific Director of Public Health France, Professor Laetitia Huart, during a press conference on the autumn winter season of acute respiratory infections. .
Fewer French people at risk were vaccinated against the flu this season: 45.9% at the end of December 2023, compared with 50% at the same date for the 2022-2023 season, and 52.7% for those aged 65 and over, compared with 54.7% a year ago. .
“Almost 60% of the injections took place in pharmacies, compared to 52% in the previous season,” noted Dominic Martin, National Medical Adviser of Health Insurance, along with officials from the Ministry of Health and SPF on Tuesday. “Vaccination in pharmacies has become a reality in the daily life of the French,” added Gregory Emery, director general of health, during this assessment for the press.
Promotion of vaccination
For the other two major respiratory diseases, bronchiolitis, which mainly affects children, and covid, reflux is almost complete. Bronchiolitis is “over in all regions of France”, and, according to the health agency, abroad, only Mayotte remains epidemic.
As for Covid, which still causes several waves every year and is not an annual seasonal epidemic, the indicators continue to decrease or remain at low levels. Only a third of French people aged 65 and over have received an anti-Covid reminder since the campaign began in autumn.
“There are issues and areas for improvement regarding information on barrier gestures and promotion of vaccination against influenza and Covid,” the Director General of Health acknowledged on Tuesday. A new vaccination booster campaign against Covid-19, targeted at the oldest, over 80 and those most at risk, will begin in mid-April.
