Overview
- All metropolitan regions are in epidemic status, with flu consultations reaching 349 per 100,000 between December 15–21 and increases strongest in under‑15s, Santé publique France reports.
- Institut Pasteur’s forecast assigns a 72.5% chance of a week‑52 peak and 22.5% for early week‑1, with intensity still described as moderate in community and hospital settings.
- Hospitals report mounting strain during holiday staffing gaps, and the Bouches‑du‑Rhône prefecture has requisitioned 17 general practitioners through January 4 to maintain care.
- Influenza A(H3N2) dominates this season, with an emergent “subclade K” showing partial immune escape that likely boosts transmission, according to virologists.
- Authorities press vaccination—coverage by November 30 was 44.2% in people 65+ and 21.3% in at‑risk under‑65s—and warn of a possible post‑holiday uptick in cases.