‘Super flu’ gains ground in France, vaccination urged

A strain of ‘super flu’ is rapidly gaining ground in France, raising fears that hospitals could be overwhelmed by patients in the coming weeks..

Concerns arise not from the severity of the flu, which is roughly comparable to standard bouts of the illness, but the increased transmissibility leading to significantly more cases than usual for this time of the year. 

Hospitals may be hit by a triple blow of flu, Covid-19, and bronchitis cases all at once, leaving them under pressure to support patients.

French state health insurance body Assurance maladie has sent a text to vulnerable individuals warning about the “VERY active” strain of the flu and urging them to get vaccinated if they have not already done so.

Vulnerable groups include those with a co-morbidity, pregnant women, and those aged 65 or above.

The UK is one of the countries hardest-hit by the super flu, and hospitalisations for flu-related illnesses have reached usual January levels (the busiest time across the winter period) well in advance of Christmas. 

Last winter in France around 17,000 people are reported to have died of the flu, and experts claim low vaccination uptake was one of the primary causes.

Flu strain is easily spread

The virus strand – known as the ‘K subclade’ – mutated in the southern hemisphere earlier this year and made its way to the northern hemisphere before the onset of winter. 

It is a variation of flu type A, one of the four main flu variants, although dozens of sub-types exist and spread concurrently during the flu season.

Several countries, including the UK, Canada, Germany, and Japan, have all experienced a rise in flu cases in recent weeks, caused by the K subclade becoming active at the start of winter.

France has also seen cases rise.

In its most recent flu bulletin, Santé Publique France said all mainland regions of the country were facing a flu epidemic, and in 69% of cases analysed, the K subclade was present. This is similar to the UK, where the strain was present in 70% of cases.

Cases are rising because for each person sick with the flu strain, there is an increased risk of them passing it on to multiple people.

“One person [with the super-flu] could potentially infect four people, whereas usually one person infects between two and three people [with the standard flu],” said head of infectious diseases at CHU Orléans Dr Thierry Prazuck to media outlet BFMTV. 

The ‘super flu’ itself does not deviate from the usual symptoms – high fever, body aches, fatigue, coughing – but the K subclade is better at evading immune systems and entering cells without being noticed, factors which also help it spread between people more easily than standard strains.

Vaccines and preventative measures urged 

The increased transmissibility of the disease means those vulnerable to flu are even more at risk this winter, as there is a higher chance of infection. 

The public are being reminded of general preventative measures – wearing a mask if suffering symptoms or if in contact with people at risk, washing hands, coughing into tissues and throwing them in the bin, and airing out rooms to prevent the virus hanging in the air – to limit the spread. 

However, across the northern hemisphere there are continual calls for people to get a flu jab, especially if they belong to a vulnerable cohort. 

Despite facing an unexpected new strain, researchers believe the vaccine in place will still be effective in preventing transmission of subclade K. 

“Among the circulating strains, we currently have a virus in subclade K that is slightly different from the virus in the strain chosen for the vaccine. Therefore, there may be a slight variation in vaccine efficacy, but this is what is observed every year,” said virologist at the National Influenza Reference Centre Maude Bouscambert Duchamp to Europe 1.

The World Health Organization likewise recommends the flu vaccine as the best way to reduce the risk of subclade K infection. 

“Early estimates suggest that the flu vaccine continues to offer protection against hospitalisations in children and adults,” it said in a report on the variant.

Studies in the UK show that up to 75% of children and 40% of adults are avoiding ‘severe’ flu cases if vaccinated this year, roughly the same as previous years without the presence of the super flu. 

As a reminder, flu vaccines in France are free for those in vulnerable groups who receive a ‘voucher’ from Assurance maladie. Otherwise, you can buy the vaccine from a pharmacy and have it administered by a healthcare professional – full information is available in our article here.