Last year\u2019s season was particularly severe due to \u2018low vaccination coverage\u2019, experts say<\/p>\n
\n France’s winter vaccination campaign against flu starts October 14
\n Rido \/ Shutterstock\n <\/p>\n
French health experts have urged people in France to get the flu vaccine in the soon-to-open winter vaccination campaign, after revealing that last year\u2019s flu epidemic was severe due to \u201clow coverage\u201d.<\/p>\n
Coverage of the flu vaccine among the target population was \u201conly 54%\u201d last year, said Professor Didier Lepelletier, director general of health, to FranceInfo on Wednesday October 8.<\/p>\n
He confirmed the opening of this year\u2019s winter vaccination campaign<\/a>, which will start this year on Tuesday, October 14.<\/p>\n \u201c14 million people have received a voucher inviting them to get vaccinated,\u201d he said. The Caisse nationale de l\u2019Assurance Maladie (CNAM) is set to launch its communication campaign on October 19, followed by Sant\u00e9 publique France (SPF) on October 26.<\/p>\n The communication campaigns will \u201cfocus on the importance of getting vaccinated to protect yourself and those around you\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n SPF has also called for<\/a> people to “remember the importance of vaccination and protective measures\u201d and to \u201cbuild confidence in the face of misinformation that undermines adherence to protective measures\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cTogether, authorities, healthcare professionals and citizens must take action to reduce the impact of winter epidemics, protect our loved ones and get through the season with greater peace of mind,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n Severe winter of 2024-2025<\/p>\n It comes after SPF reported 17,600 deaths from flu last winter at a press conference this week. This is much higher than the average of 10,000 deaths per year caused by flu nationwide.<\/p>\n This figure is already relatively high; compare it to the influenza-related mortality of the UK, for example, which the UK Health Security Agency states<\/a> was some 7,800 for the 2024-2025 season (\u201cmuch higher than the roughly 3,600 seen in the 2023 to 2024 season, but lower than the estimated 15,900 seen in the 2022 to 2023 season\u201d, it reads).<\/p>\n This \u201chigh intensity\u201d was also due to the circulation of \u201cthree viruses in succession\u201d said Prof Lepelletier. He said that as well as the low coverage, the \u201cvaccine efficiency was moderate, at around 42%, considering the three viruses\u201d.<\/p>\n Flu season typically coincides with the spread of other winter respiratory infections, including bronchiolitis (which particularly affects infants), and Covid-19.<\/p>\n Last year was \u201cmarked by a relatively early flu epidemic, which lasted longer than average and was significant in terms of its scale and severity for all age groups\u201d, said SPF<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c[There were] nearly 3 million consultations in towns and cities, 30,000 hospitalisations and an excess mortality of more than 17,000 deaths from all causes combined,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n SPF also warned that the spread of Covid-19 has intensified since the end of September, and reassured people that flu and Covid-19 vaccinations can start to provide protection against severe forms of the illnesses within days of the injection.<\/p>\n How can I get vaccinated in France?\u00a0<\/p>\n Similarly to recent vaccination campaigns, both Covid-19 and flu injections can be given simultaneously to prevent the need to make two appointments, with one in each arm.\u00a0<\/p>\n Otherwise, patients can opt to receive just one.<\/p>\n The vaccines can be given by doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and midwives, based on whether you have a voucher or prescription for the vaccine.<\/p>\n