This national prevention campaign, launched today by the Ministry of Labor, Health, Solidarity, and Families, Santé publique France, and the National Health Insurance Fund, aims to highlight the importance of vaccination and preventive measures, as well as to build confidence in the face of misinformation that undermines compliance with protective measures. Together—authorities, healthcare professionals, and citizens—let’s take action to reduce the impact of winter epidemics, protect our loved ones, and get through the season with greater peace of mind.

Every year, the flu, COVID-19, and bronchiolitis take a heavy toll on the health of the French population, particularly the most vulnerable. These acute respiratory infections can lead to serious complications and increase the strain on our healthcare system.

Last winter was marked by a relatively early flu epidemic that lasted longer than average and was significant in scope and severity across all age groups: nearly 3 million outpatient visits, 30,000 hospitalizations, and excess mortality of over 17,000 deaths from all causes combined.

As the 2025–2026 winter season approaches, the Directorate General of Health and its partners are calling for a collective effort to strengthen prevention. Effective tools are available to everyone:

• Protection of infants against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which causes bronchiolitis, through the administration of monoclonal antibodies to infants or vaccination of pregnant women;

• Vaccination against seasonal flu and COVID-19, to protect the most vulnerable from severe illness and prevent hospitalizations and deaths;

• Essential preventive measures: wearing a mask if you have symptoms or when in contact with vulnerable people, in enclosed spaces, and particularly in healthcare settings; washing your hands (especially after contact with respiratory secretions or potentially contaminated objects); and ventilating rooms regularly. These everyday measures are intended to be applied together.

Vaccination, a pillar of prevention

In France, the seasonal flu vaccination campaign will begin on October 14, with the primary goal of protecting the most vulnerable populations. This year, nearly 19 million people are being encouraged by the National Health Insurance and the Agricultural Social Mutual Fund (MSA) to get vaccinated against the virus. This same population is encouraged to get vaccinated against COVID-19 starting this fall.

Since 2022, seasonal flu vaccination has also been recommended for professionals exposed to swine and avian influenza viruses.

For this season, France has enhanced tools to protect the population:

• Seasonal flu: Five trivalent vaccines (Influvac®, Vaxigrip®, Flucelvax®, Efluelda®, and Fluad®) from Sanofi, Seqirus, and Viatris are available and fully covered by the National Health Insurance for eligible individuals who have received the National Health Insurance voucher. 14 million doses have already been secured;

• Covid-19: 1 adapted monovalent vaccine, Comirnaty® LP.8.1 from Pfizer, with nearly 12 million doses already delivered nationwide;

• RSV bronchiolitis: protection for infants continues, with maternal vaccination using Abrysvo® from Pfizer, or passive immunization of the infant using Beyfortus® from Sanofi. The latest campaign has immunized more than 450,000 infants.

Insufficient vaccination coverage, hindered by misconceptions

During the 2024–2025 season, among severe cases of influenza and COVID-19 admitted to intensive care for which vaccination status was recorded, nearly half of the patients were unvaccinated against the viruses despite having risk factors (see IRA bulletin of April 15, 2025).

A concerning situation for health authorities, vaccination rates remain insufficient:

• Influenza: vaccination coverage has stagnated at 54% among people aged 65 and older and at 25% among people under 65 at risk of severe influenza;

• COVID-19: only 22% of those aged 65 and older were vaccinated in 2024–2025, and one in ten people under 65 with a chronic condition during the same period.

This low uptake of vaccination campaigns can be partly explained by misconceptions. For example, according to the IRAPrev survey by Santé publique France:

• For Covid-19 and flu vaccines, the two main reasons for refusal were opposition to annual vaccination, followed by a preference for protection based on preventive measures (42% for Covid-19 and 31% for the flu).

• Fear of side effects was then cited as a reason for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine (26%), while the use of homeopathy or alternative medicine was cited by respondents opposed to the flu vaccine (28%), particularly among those aged 80 and older.

A Necessary Effort Against Misinformation

Thus, restoring confidence and reminding the public of the vaccination’s highly favorable risk-benefit balance is a priority.
The Directorate General for Health, alongside the National Health Insurance, Santé publique France, and all healthcare professionals, reaffirms its commitment to informing, supporting, and protecting the population.

New information campaigns on flu vaccination and preventive measures

Communication campaigns serve as a useful annual reminder for those already convinced of the vaccine’s benefits, but it is crucial to present compelling arguments to those who are hesitant to get vaccinated.

That is why this year, the French National Health Insurance is launching a communication campaign that addresses common misconceptions about the flu vaccine more directly.

The campaign addresses barriers to vaccination with specific arguments that weigh the perceived drawbacks or risks against the vaccine’s actual benefits, so that everyone can make an informed choice.

In line with this approach, the French National Health Insurance is releasing four TV spots this year:

• A spot aimed at all priority groups to remind them of the dangers of the flu and the vaccine’s protective role against severe forms of the disease.

• Three other spots target specific groups: seniors, to explain that feeling healthy isn’t enough to rule out risks; pregnant women, to remind them that the vaccine protects both mother and baby; and people with chronic illnesses, to emphasize that the vaccine prevents complications and worsening of their health.

This information campaign extends to radio with three spots that reinforce the messages presented on television.

In addition to the usual invitation letters sent by mail, the Health Insurance system will continue and expand the sending of digital messages to all priority groups this year.
In addition, a large-scale campaign promoting preventive measures (wearing masks, handwashing, ventilating rooms) is being implemented by Santé Publique France, starting October 25, 2025, and running through February 2026 (TV, online videos, radio, digital audio, digital displays in train stations, subways, hospitals, clinics, health centers, media partnerships with daily newspapers, influencer campaigns, and paper posters in healthcare facilities).

Its goal is to encourage the adoption of the three preventive measures and embed them in the daily habits of the French public, to protect themselves and those around them.