The seasonal flu has already killed 34 people in France. While the number of consultations and visits to the emergency room has increased in recent days, we can say that the virus has settled in the territory.
At the start of the year, everyone’s attention is focused on the Chinese coronavirus. However, in France, the seasonal flu epidemic continues. To date, there have been 34 deaths linked to the disease, and more than 400 serious cases recorded in intensive care units, including 59 last week. On Wednesday February 13, the French public health agency publishes its inventory. She notes “a moderate increase in indicators of influenza activity” last week, that is to say medical consultations, visits to the emergency room. Vaccination has progressed slightly among people at risk compared to last season. These are the elderly, children, pregnant women, people with asthma or suffering from a chronic illness.
More vaccinations, but still not enough
Thus, in metropolitan France, the vaccination coverage rose from 46.5% to 47.2%, (+0.7 points) for all of these people, according to Social Security reimbursements made at the end of December. Still according to Public Health France, the majority (71%) of patients admitted to intensive care had risk factors for complications. They were almost as many (70%) not to be vaccinated. Among the 34 deaths recorded there were 6 children under the age of 15. In addition, serious cases of influenza have also been identified in Martinique and Guadeloupe.
Consultations and visits to the emergency room on the increase
Among the hospitalizations for influenza, the most represented are children under 5 years old (31%) and people aged 75 and over (22%). All regions of mainland France are currently affected and the consultation rate increased by 13% last week compared to the previous week, according to the Sentinels monitoring network. The number of emergency room visits, meanwhile, rose from 8,888 to 9,010 in a week, according to another monitoring network, Oscur. However, the number of hospitalizations remained stable.
The vaccination campaign is still ongoing
Each year, approximately 7,000 people die from the flu. Last year she did 9,500 victims. In 2018, 12,980 died from it. This winter, there is a novelty in France concerning the flu. Indeed, it is now possible to be vaccinated against the disease in a drug store. This contributes, it seems, to this increase in vaccination coverage. It is also possible to do so until February 29.
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