Orange with Media Services, published on Wednesday April 20, 2022 at 5:31 p.m. As the flu is still circulating alongside Covid-19, Public Health France reaffirms the importance of barrier gestures and vaccination, in particular for those most at risk, elderly people in head.Finally a reflux. The flu epidemic, unusually late this year for the season, is declining in mainland France, including for the first time for deaths, according to the weekly report from Public Health France, published this Wednesday, April 20. “Although decreasing, influenza indicators were still at high levels marking a still intense circulation of influenza viruses in parallel with SARS-CoV-2” the past week, however observed the health agency. In city medicine, as in hospitals, the proportion of consultations or admissions for flu or flu-like illness has declined.
On the death side, “for the first time”, the share linked to the flu among all deaths resulting from electronic certification has decreased. These deaths mainly concerned people aged 65 or over (85%) but 13 deaths were recorded in people under the age of 15. As the flu is still circulating alongside Covid-19, Public Health France reaffirms the importance of barrier gestures and vaccination, especially for those most at risk, the elderly in particular.A less good collective immunity?Usually, the the peak of this epidemic caused by respiratory influenza viruses is reached around February. The late resumption of influenza this year may be linked to lower herd immunity to this epidemic. In the winter of 2020-2021, the French were less infected than usual, because the anti-Covid containment measures blocked the circulation of many other viruses. In addition, the intensification of recent weeks has most likely been favored by the easing of measures to combat the pandemic, in particular the lifting of the compulsory mask. Only a little more than half (around 51.4%) of people with risk, those over 65 and vulnerable people, has been vaccinated against the flu, according to estimates. What’s more, the influenza vaccination started a little over five months ago, raising questions about the level of protection now. A(H3N2) virus, now largely in the majority, according to preliminary data.