2023-12-14 08:42:17
The flu vaccination campaign is slipping, just like that once morest Covid. However, cases are on the rise once more and the end-of-year holiday period risks accentuating the trend.
Vaccination is slipping. While the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) region has gone into an epidemic phase for the flu this week, and Covid has not disappeared either and is even experiencing a rebound before the holidays, the population is reluctant to receive an injection before the end-of-year holidays, a period conducive to contamination.
Reluctant French people
In a Parisian pharmacy, customers are reluctant to be vaccinated, even though some are used to receiving their anti-flu dose every year.
“I think I don’t need it. I tell myself that I’m young and that it won’t happen to me,” says one of them on BFMTV.
“Normally, we get vaccinated every year with my daughter, but this year no, we did not get vaccinated because I think there are too many vaccines,” explains another client.
Thousands of deaths every year
As a result of this lack of enthusiasm, a pharmacist, Alexandre de Courval, still has a large stock of flu vaccines.
“People often confuse the flu with a benign winter virus,” he laments into our microphone.
However, it is a “violent syndrome and you unfortunately have fatal cases every year”. In fact, every year, around 10,000 people die from the flu in France.
The vaccination once morest the flu and once morest Covid are both recommended for people aged 65 and over, those with comorbidities, pregnant women or even residents of EHPADs. This year, simultaneous vaccination is recommended for those most at risk.
Cases on the rise
In mid-December, 8 regions are currently in the pre-epidemic phase in mainland France and the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region moved into the epidemic phase this week. Only Brittany, Normandy, New Aquitaine and Corsica are spared in France.
Eight regions are located in the pre-epidemic phase and one in the influenza epidemic phase for mainland France, as of December 14, 2023 – Oscour, SOS Médecins, Réseau Sentinelles
Concerning Covid, 34,889 cases were declared the week of December 4 to 10 and there were 28,437 between November 27 and December 3, according to figures provided by Public Health France. The trend is therefore upwards.
“An effect of trivialization”, according to the minister
Faced with the increase in contaminations for influenza and Covid, the Minister of Health Aurélien Rousseau called this Wednesday for a rebound in vaccination.
“We have crossed 10 million on the flu, we have crossed 5 million on Covid,” he detailed. “We are still ahead of last year’s figures on Covid, we need to catch up a little on the flu.”
“There is perhaps a trivialization effect because we have learned to live with Covid and the flu,” analyzes the minister, regarding the low vaccination figures this year.
Increase in hospitalizations
Between November 27 and December 3, 0.2% of hospitalizations involved a trip to the emergency room for influenza-like illness. The following week, between December 4 and 10, there were 0.4%, double in one week.
Same trend for Covid. The rate of visits to the emergency room for suspected Covid-19 increased from 2.7% between November 27 and December 3 to 3.2% for the following week.
Good news, however, for bronchiolitis. After experiencing an increase, it seems to have passed the peak of contaminations and stabilized.
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