Metropolitan France is increasingly threatened by seasonal flu, health authorities reported on Wednesday, and the epidemic was announced early in a health context already complicated by persistent covid and an outbreak of bronchiolitis.
Last week was marked by an “increase in all flu indicators,” France’s public health agency summarized in a weekly report. This trend affected all age groups, being more marked among those under 15 years of age.
“It’s going to be very tough this year, so it’s essential to renew the vaccine,” said Philippe Besset, president of the FSPF, the profession’s first union.
“Very difficult” to catch up “behind”
On Monday, the two main pharmaceutical unions said vaccination against seasonal flu is “significantly behind schedule” compared to last year.
“It’s a bit of a disaster this year,” Philippe Besset has already confirmed. Especially since this decrease refers mainly to “priority” audiences (over 65, chronically ill, pregnant women), for whom the injection was reserved until November 15.
Pointing to a “general weariness towards vaccination, even among those for whom it is necessary”, Philippe Besset believes that it will be “very difficult” to catch up with this “lag” without a “meaningful communication campaign”.
With BFMTV, infectious disease specialist Imad Kansou points out that the vaccination rate was lower than usual “from the start” of the opening of the vaccination campaign.
“Mais on probably explain the jealousy for the lassitude of the population to talk all the time of vaccin. On sort of several vagues of the Covid-19 pandemic: it is already a mental association, et de fait, ça devient très complicé”, dit – The.
The fear of a “triple epidemic”
In absolute terms, the number of cases remains low in mainland France and (for the moment) is not likely to immediately put the health system in trouble. But its increase is strong: consultations for flu symptoms have skyrocketed by two thirds compared to the previous week, and visits to the emergency room for flu symptoms or flu symptoms by 39%.
However, the health system is already facing an epidemic of bronchiolitis in babies, of an unprecedented magnitude for many years, and the persistent pressure of Covid, for which reason hospitalizations have rebounded in recent days.
This triple epidemic situation has already taken hold in the United States, where influenza-related hospitalizations have reached their highest level in a decade.
“In this context, it is strongly recommended that people at risk and health professionals be vaccinated without delay against seasonal influenza,” Public Health France reaffirmed.
Source: BFM TV
