Health. The flu epidemic is declared in mainland France, according to health authorities

It’s official, the flu epidemic is here. The seasonal flu epidemic has now been declared in France, hitting Brittany and Normandy, health authorities announced on Wednesday, as the country is already facing waves of bronchiolitis and Covid-19.

“Brittany and Normandy have gone into epidemic”, announced the public health agency France in a report of the week elapsed on November 27. Overseas, the flu epidemic was already hitting Martinique, Mayotte and Reunion.

Sixteen million French people are eligible for the flu vaccination and have received a voucher to use in pharmacies. As of November 17, a month after the start of the flu vaccination campaign, only nearly 6 million doses of vaccines have been reimbursed, according to the Directorate General of Health (DGS). Figures lower than the 2021-2022 campaign.

The flu is responsible for an average of 9,000 deaths per year in France, according to estimates by Public Health France. Each winter, 2 to 6 million people are affected.