Key Points

• Every year, there is an increase in asthma attacks among children at the start of the school year, which may be linked in particular to the resurgence of respiratory viral infections as children return to group settings after the summer break. Other factors, such as exposure to allergens at school or the discontinuation of long-term asthma treatment during the holidays, may also play a role.

• Week 37 of 2025 (September 8–14), following the week of the start of the school year, saw a doubling of visits to hospital emergency departments in the region for asthma compared to the previous week (36):

  • 317 visits across all age groups (data not shown here)

  • 231 visits involving children aged 0 to 14 (Figure 1), 61% of whom were aged 0 to 4

  • 147 hospitalizations following emergency department care, representing a hospitalization rate of 37%

  • After two weeks of increases, the trend in emergency department visits appears similar to that of 2023, with the number of visits observed being lower than in 2024

• In week 37, SOS Médecins activity increased less sharply than in emergency departments:

  • 59 procedures across all age groups (data not shown here)

  • 28 cases involving children aged 0 to 14 (Figure 2), 43% of whom were aged 0 to 5