In Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, 1.5 million people are considered at risk and are invited to get vaccinated against the flu. However, during the previous campaign, only 46% of these at-risk individuals were vaccinated in the region, a rate deemed insufficient by the World Health Organization, which recommends a target of 75%.
The 2025-2026 flu season was early and moderately intense in outpatient settings but high in hospitals in the Paca region. Lasting 11 weeks, from early December 2025 to mid-February 2026, it led to a significant number of emergency room visits and hospitalizations. In hospitals, 12,000 flu-related emergency room visits were recorded, with over 3,000 followed by hospitalization. Individuals aged 65 and over accounted for 60% of these hospitalizations.
Outpatient, nearly 18,000 medical consultations for flu or flu-like illness were recorded by SOS Médecins associations in the region, with flu representing up to 27% of their activity at the peak of the epidemic. Between September 30, 2025, and April 15, 2026, approximately 600 deaths in the Paca region mentioned flu as a direct or contributing cause of death, primarily affecting individuals aged 85 and over (61%).
The 2025-2026 flu epidemic was the second most intense in hospitals over the last ten years, marked by the co-circulation of A(H1N1) and A(H3N2) viruses, with the latter being predominant. The overall vaccination coverage in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region was 45.1%, reaching 52.9% for individuals aged 65 and over and 25% for those under 65 at risk of severe flu. In nursing homes, it stood at 80.42%.
Despite a 2.7-point increase compared to the 2024-2025 season, vaccination coverage remains insufficient and shows territorial disparities. The proportion of patients hospitalized for flu among unvaccinated at-risk individuals remains high, at about 24% for those admitted to intensive care. The majority of hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and flu-related deaths concern unvaccinated at-risk individuals.
The most at-risk individuals include those aged 65 and over, individuals under 65 with chronic illnesses (from 6 months old), pregnant women, individuals with obesity (BMI ≥ 40), and those residing in healthcare or residential care facilities.
A personalized information campaign is being deployed to general practitioners in the region who have more than 10 eligible patients. A first letter was sent to 4,000 doctors on October 12, 2026, to present the previous campaign's results, and a second in early December 2026 will track vaccination coverage progress. Vaccination is also strongly recommended for healthcare professionals and those in regular contact with vulnerable individuals.
Several healthcare professionals, including doctors, pharmacists, midwives, and nurses, are authorized to vaccinate. In 2025-2026, 65% of flu vaccinations were administered in pharmacies, highlighting the growing role of pharmacists. Vaccination remains the most effective way to reduce the risk of severe flu.
The Regional Health Agency Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Assurance Maladie, and Santé Publique France Paca-Corse encourage concerned individuals, especially those not vaccinated last year, to make appointments. It is also essential to adopt barrier gestures: wear a mask if sick, wash hands, ventilate rooms, cough and sneeze into your elbow, and greet without physical contact.
