The flu epidemic has ended in the French metropolis, the national public health agency noted on Wednesday, while Guadeloupe and Martinique remain affected overseas. Last week, ending March 17, “in France, flu indicators continued to decrease in town and in hospitals in all age groups”, summarized Public Health France in a weekly report on the acute respiratory infections.
Adoption of barrier gestures recommended
While the epidemic was still hitting Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur at the beginning of March, “the 13 regions were (now) in the post-epidemic phase” in mainland France last week, the agency said. This therefore means that the annual flu epidemic, which began in mainland France about four months ago, is coming to an end, even if a rebound cannot be ruled out. The epidemic still continues overseas, in Guadeloupe and Martinique. Fewer French people at risk were vaccinated against the flu this season: 45.9% at the end of December 2023, compared to 50% for the 2022-2023 season on the same date, and 52.7% for those aged 65 and over alone, compared to 54.7% a year ago.
The situation is, moreover, calm regarding the two other major epidemics. Covid, which records several outbreaks per year, is at the bottom of the wave, while the bronchiolitis epidemic has clearly ended for infants, apart from overseas, in Mayotte. In a first assessment, the health authorities noted at the end of February that these three epidemics had put less strain on the health system this year than during the 2022-2023 season, which was particularly harsh.
However, “the systematic adoption of barrier gestures by everyone remains important in busy places and in the presence of vulnerable people, in particular the wearing of a mask in the event of symptoms, hand washing and regular ventilation of enclosed spaces”, recalled Public Health France. A new vaccination booster campaign against Covid-19, targeted at the oldest, over 80, and those most at risk, will start in mid-April.