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According to the latest report from Public Health France, the flu epidemic finally seems to be stabilizing in mainland France. Deaths continue to rise.
The flu epidemic in France is stabilizing
In its latest bulletin published on Wednesday, the National Public Health Agency notes a “stability of most flu indicators in mainland France“.
All regions remain in the epidemic phase but trends vary by region: “the epidemic is stable in 7 regions, decreasing in Brittany and still increasing in the Centre-Val-de-Loire, Île-de-France, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie and Pays de la Loire regions.specifies the bulletin.
Overseas, the agency observes a resumption of the flu in Mayotte, while the situation seems to be stabilizing in Guyana.
In community medicine, the rate of consultations for flu-like illness is down (-14%) while the proportion of flu-like illnesses in SOS Médecins consultations is showing a slight increase (+0.3 points).
The number of visits to the emergency room for flu-like illness also increased (+ 2%) while the positivity rate in outpatient medicine fell sharply (- 7.7 points).
As for the positivity rate in hospitals, it is up slightly (+ 0.9 points).
More deaths
Despite this stabilization, the number of deaths is still increasing.
The share linked to influenza among all deaths resulting from electronic certification “continued to progress in week 14, exceeding the level reached during the peak of the 2019-2020 influenza epidemic”, observed Public Health France. These deaths mostly concern people aged 65 or over.
In addition, in people at risk targeted by vaccination, the agency observes “lower vaccination coverage than estimated for the 2020-2021 season”.
In this context, Public Health France reaffirms the importance of vaccination.
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Who should get vaccinated?
The flu virus kills every year. Because it evolves, it is essential to protect yourself against it and to be vaccinated every year. Vaccination specifically targets people at risk of developing a severe form of influenza. It is primarily:
- people aged 65 and over;
- people under 65 suffering from certain chronic illnesses;
- pregnant women;
- people suffering from obesity (body mass index greater than or equal to 40).
People who are not very fragile, such as young people or people in good health, can also be vaccinated.
In addition, respecting barrier gestures also remains one of the best ways to fight the epidemic.