Influenza: five regions in the pre-epidemic phase, the epidemic promises to be “intense”

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Influenza five regions in the pre epidemic phase the epidemic promises

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    Five French regions are now in the “pre-epidemic” phase. A situation that worries pharmacists’ unions, given the few French people vaccinated against the flu.

    While five regions have just entered the pre-epidemic phase in France (Île-de-France, Normandy, Hauts-de-France, the Centre-Val de Loire region and Brittany), the two main pharmacists’ unions fear a resurgence of the flu this winter. And for good reason: the French seem to “shun” vaccination.

    The flu epidemic promises to be “particularly intense”

    For Pierre-Olivier Variot, president of the Union of Unions of Community Pharmacists (USPO), the epidemic promises to be intense this winter.

    “The flu in the southern hemisphere has been much stronger this year. However, the northern hemisphere is often the reflection of the southern hemisphere. In addition, there was no flu epidemic during the Covid years and that of last year was weak, because the barrier gestures were still maintained. But without herd immunity this year, and with a vaccination campaign starting late, the epidemic is likely to be even stronger..”

    Indeed, on November 18, exactly 32 days after the launch of the flu vaccination campaign, just over 7 million doses were injected, compared to 8.6 million last year. A difference of 18.3%, according to data collected from 14,000 of the 20,000 French pharmacies and published by the company IQVIA, health data specialist.

    The president of the Union of Unions of Community Pharmacists specifies that the good weather has not helped in recent weeks either.

    “When it’s cold, the French get vaccinated faster“, he details before adding “that there is far too long a latency period between receipt of the vaccination voucher and the moment when one can be vaccinated (a month, even a month and a half.) During this period, there is plenty of time to lose the good or forget it. It is therefore a method from another time. An email, a letter inviting you to be vaccinated would be more than enough“.

    In this context, the USPO recalls in a Press release the importance of vaccination against influenza for the entire population, particularly among people at risk (immunocompromised or overweight people, seniors, pregnant women, etc.).

    Flu: an “advertising campaign” must be done

    The union also recommends that pharmacists be “proactive” and of “ask their patients if they are vaccinated against the flu to encourage them to update“.

    If the delay in vaccination taken “is quite recoverable, it is nevertheless necessary that the government and the health insurance quickly redo an advertising campaign“, says Pierre-Olivier Variot.



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