Health: The Flu, Which Caused 17,000 Deaths Last Year, is Starting to take Hold in France

Three regions of mainland France, including Nouvelle-Aquitaine, are in the pre-epidemic phase for influenza, which is currently only fully declared in Mayotte

Seasonal flu has started to take hold in several regions of the French metropolis, a report from the public health agency showed on Wednesday, even if the epidemic is currently only fully declared overseas in Mayotte.

The week of November 16th to 23rd, “flu activity increased in all age groups in France, indicating a start in the circulation of flu viruses in the general population and particularly among children”, summarizes Public Health France in a bulletin following the main winter epidemics.

17,000 deaths last year

The epidemic has not yet been declared in any metropolitan region but several are said to be “pre-epidemic”: Île-de-France, Normandy and Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Overseas, on the other hand, Mayotte, already faced with numerous health difficulties, is entering an epidemic situation.

The seasonal flu epidemic was particularly severe last season with more than 17,000 deaths – compared to an average of around 10,000. It had also been exceptionally marked among the youngest, sending many babies to the hospital.

#Grippe #Bronchiolite #Covid19
Publication du bulletin Infections respiratoires aiguës (IRA)
➡ Activité en nette augmentation chez les enfants et globalement stable chez les adultes
📰Bulletin du 26/11 : https://t.co/p5qD0GOLwE pic.twitter.com/bwAACeixuE
— SantépubliqueFrance (@SantePubliqueFr) November 26, 2025

French health authorities welcomed a good start to vaccination this week, after poor rates in 2024-2025, but warned that it was too early to draw firm conclusions about the success of the campaign.

The bronchiolitis epidemic continues

As such, another epidemic, bronchiolitis, specifically concentrated in babies, continues: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Centre-Val de Loire, Grand Est, Hauts-de-France, Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Provence-Alpes-Côte Azure.

Across France, more than 2,000 babies under the age of one went to the emergency room for bronchiolitis, usually caused by the respiratory syncytial virus, last week and 765 were hospitalized.

The latest major epidemic monitored by Public Health France, Covid is hardly active with indicators “decreasing and at low levels”.