Overshadowed for two years by the Covid-19, the flu is making a comeback

The flu is making a comeback throughout France. Friday March 18, all metropolitan areas except Corsica are affected, against only four the previous week. In question, a certain relaxation linked to the lifting of sanitary measures. “The French adopt less systematically the wearing of the mask, for example, and this situation certainly favors the circulation of viruses”notes Doctor Sibylle Bernard-Stoecklin, epidemiologist at Public Health France.

In 2021, the number of influenza cases remained very low, which could also explain the recent increase in cases. “When influenza viruses circulate each year, it leads to stimuli and therefore immune protection within the population”, analyzes Dr. Laurent Filleul, epidemiologist and public health manager for France in New Aquitaine. Vaccination coverage is considered satisfactory by the health authorities.