The Flu in Limousin

Since early January, hospital emergency rooms in Limousin have seen a gradual and very sharp increase in visits for the flu and flu-like symptoms compared to last year. The numbers have reached 120 visits per week, accounting for 3% of all emergency room visits in the region, and 460 consultations (25%) at SOS Médecins Limoges.The health impact of the flu epidemic is all the more severe because the A(H3N2) viruses—which account for 60% of the flu viruses identified this year—are predominantly variants of the vaccine strain and are known to cause severe flu among the elderly population. Low vaccination coverage among people aged 65 and older (around 50%), the poor match between circulating A(H3N2) viruses and the vaccine strain, and the observation of very low vaccine efficacy against these viruses¹ help explain this impact.This epidemic already appears to be the most intense in Limousin—as well as across the entire country—since the H1N1 flu epidemic of the 2009–2010 winter.