Public Health France is categorical: “in France, the flu epidemic is intensifying.” In its latest situation update published this Thursday, January 2, the health agency indicates that “all flu indicators continued to increase sharply in all age groups” during the last week of December 2024.
In mainland France, no region is spared, since all are in the epidemic phase. Overseas regions are also affected because “Martinique is in an epidemic, Guadeloupe and Guyana in a pre-epidemic.”
Hospitalizations of older people increase
“Children under 15 years of age were the most affected in the city and in hospital,” explains Public Health France.
“Compared to the five previous epidemics, the level of intensity in the hospital increased this week from moderate to high for all ages and to a very high level among those under 15 years of age,” explains the health agency.
People 65 years and older are the age group most affected by hospitalization and “accounted for 64% of hospitalizations after going to the emergency room for flu/flu-like illnesses” during the last week of December, an increase of 95 % compared to the previous one. week.
“The positivity rate increased considerably in cities and in hospitals,” Public Health France also explains in its description of the evolution of the flu in France. The health organization reminds “that it is essential to recommend vaccination to all eligible people, to protect them and those around them.”
Pharmacy unions point to an acceleration of vaccination, which will allow to compensate for the delay in the start of winter. “We have two arms, there may 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, in mid-December.
Regarding bronchiolitis, the health agency notes “a decrease in most indicators”, although eleven regions of France are still in the epidemic phase. For Covid-19, Public Health France points to “generally stable activity at low levels.”
Source: BFM TV
