France remains in the grip of its annual winter flu epidemic, but the latest national data show that infections have passed their peak, with demand for care now falling.
Consultations and hospital visits linked to flu and flu-like illness declined during the final week of January, according to the weekly bulletin published on February 4 by health authority Santé publique France (SpF).
Nonetheless, all mainland regions are still officially classified as being in an epidemic phase, with the exception of Ile-de-France, which is now post-epidemic.
Virological indicators appear to confirm this, with fewer positive tests for flu from January 26 to February 1, although rates remain above 1%, indicating that transmission is still significant.
Mortality linked to flu is also easing. Influenza accounted for a smaller share of deaths recorded via electronic death certificates for the third consecutive week, with the vast majority of fatalities in patients aged 65 and over.
On current trends, SpF forecasts the pressure on health services will decline progressively over the next four weeks, making a late-season rebound unlikely.
Advertisement
Alongside flu, the respiratory syncytial virus, which causes bronchiolitis, continues to circulate, while Covid-19 infections remain stable at low levels.
By the end of 2025, coverage stood at 46.3% among people eligible for free vaccination, rising to 53.3% among over-65s but falling to 27.1% in under-65s at risk of severe flu.
The 2024 season was one of the deadliest since 2009, with an estimated 17,600 flu-related deaths, a toll partly attributed to weak vaccine uptake.
