To mark the occasion, 11 million people at high risk are receiving a voucher from the National Health Insurance program to encourage them to get vaccinated by picking up the vaccine for free at a pharmacy. The flu vaccine remains the safest and most effective way to protect those most at risk. Less than half of the people for whom the flu poses a serious risk are vaccinated.

Review of the 2015–2016 Season

The winter season in mainland France was marked by a late-onset flu epidemic that was long-lasting but of moderate severity and scope. Nearly 3,000 hospitalizations were reported by emergency departments. 48.3% of those eligible for vaccination received the flu vaccine, an increase of 2.2 percentage points over the previous year. Despite this rise in the rate, vaccination coverage remains largely insufficient. The epidemic lasted 11 weeks instead of the average of 9 weeks. In total, 2.3 million people sought medical care for flu-like symptoms, 42% of whom were children under 15. 1,109 severe cases of influenza were reported to Santé publique France by intensive care units in metropolitan France.

How is influenza surveillance organized in France?

Santé publique France coordinates influenza surveillance in France. The agency analyzes data from its network of partners on a weekly basis, both nationally and regionally. It publishes the indicators resulting from this data analysis in a bulletin posted online every week from October through April. The first bulletin will be published in week 41.

"Flu: To Avoid Hospitalization, Get Vaccinated"

This year, the French Health Insurance System is reusing last year’s slogan because the 2015–2016 flu season, although milder than the previous one, resulted in a high number of hospitalizations. The public information campaign is once again being rolled out on television to reach as many people as possible. It will air from October 7 to 28 on France Télévisions group channels. To complement the prevention messages in the TV spots, comprehensive and educational articles will be published in regional daily newspapers so that everyone can make an informed decision about flu vaccination. Additionally, everyone can support the campaign by sharing on Twitter their commitment to fighting the flu virus using the hashtag #lagrippejedisnon.

Learn more:

• Press release and press kit

• Influenza surveillance reports and bulletins

• Flu surveillance in mainland France, 2015-2016 season. Bull Epidemiol Hebd 2016;32-33.

• GrippeNet.fr

Influenza updates

Influenza is a respiratory infection that can lead to serious complications in at-risk individuals, such as pneumonia or the worsening of an existing chronic condition (diabetes, heart or respiratory failure, etc.). The flu vaccination campaign aims to protect populations for whom the flu poses a health risk. The flu vaccine is recommended by the High Council for Public Health for all people aged 65 and older and for certain categories of people considered vulnerable. This includes patients with certain chronic conditions (respiratory or cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, etc.), pregnant women—both to protect themselves and their infants—and individuals with morbid obesity, as well as family members of infants under 6 months of age who have serious risk factors.