Summary

Following a sharp increase in mortality recorded by the civil registry offices participating in the surveillance program (accounting for 70% of national mortality) until it peaked in week 7, a slight decline in the number of deaths was observed during weeks 8 and 9 (February 16 to March 1). The decrease in mortality is observed among people aged 65 and older and in the northern regions of France. The first excess mortality was observed as early as the first two weeks of January and before the start of the influenza epidemic (S3). Over the first 9 weeks of 2015, winter mortality was 18% higher than the expected mortality calculated based on the previous 8 years, representing an estimated excess of 12,300 deaths (including 10,200 deaths since the start of the flu epidemic). The contribution of influenza to excess mortality is known to be significant among older adults, though it is not possible to specify its share in the excess observed this season. These initial estimates should be interpreted with caution, as the episode is not yet over and the data are not yet consolidated due to the usual delays in data transmission.In Europe, an increase in all-cause mortality among people aged 65 and older has also been observed in 10 of the 16 countries or regions participating in the European mortality surveillance system (www.EuroMomo.eu). Since Week 7, mortality appears to have begun to decline in the majority of the affected countries. Across Europe, excess all-cause mortality is very high and estimated at 80,000 people of all ages. Following a decrease in the number of electronically certified deaths recorded in Week 9, a stabilization was noted in Week 10 (March 2–8).