This year, influenza wreaked human and financial havoc. The scale of the epidemic caused an excess mortality of 11,400 deaths and an additional cost of 80 million euros, according to the director general of the National Health Insurance Fund (CNAM), Nicolas Revel.
“Each year, an expenditure provision of 100 million euros (consultations, drugs, sick leave) is made”, explained the director general of the National Health Insurance Fund (CNAM), Nicolas Revel to the business daily Les Echoes.
But “given the scale of the epidemic this year, the additional cost should be around 80 million euros,” said Nicolas Revel, deeming “totally outlandish the figure of one billion mentioned in the press”. “Beyond its cost, this episode confirms that we must redouble our efforts to improve vaccination coverage against influenza, which has been reduced in recent years,” concludes the manager in his interview.
Flu epidemic: seniors heavily affected
In 10 weeks of the flu epidemic, mortality was higher 19% to the expected mortality, i.e. an excess mortality of 11,400 deaths. This increase in mortality concerns more particularly people 65 years of age or over and affects all regions, according to figures from the National Institute for Public Health Surveillance (Invs).
The proportion of hospitalizations after going to the emergency room for influenza has been 47% among those over 65 since the start of the epidemic, against 11% for the general population. It was 6 to 9% in previous winters. “And, the number of serious cases admitted to intensive care since November 1 stands at 1,480 people (including 210 dead), more than that observed during the influenza pandemic of 2009-2010. In ten weeks of the epidemic, 2.4 million people came to see a doctor for symptoms of the disease, ”recalls the Institute in its report.
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