Influenza, a seasonal contagious disease, can have serious consequences. Last year, it resulted in over 115,000 emergency room visits and 12,700 deaths nationwide. In the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (Paca) region, the 2025-2026 flu season was early, with moderate intensity in outpatient settings but high in hospitals. Santé publique France Paca-Corse reports 12,000 flu-related emergency room visits, over 3,000 of which led to hospitalization. Outpatient physicians recorded nearly 18,000 medical consultations for flu or flu-like symptoms during the epidemic phase.
In Paca, 1.5 million people are considered at risk and are encouraged to get vaccinated. However, during the previous campaign, only 46% of these at-risk individuals were vaccinated in the region, a rate insufficient to meet the 75% target recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The influenza virus evolves annually, making autumn vaccination with an adapted vaccine essential. The most at-risk individuals include those aged 65 and over, individuals under 65 with certain chronic illnesses (including children from 6 months old), pregnant women, severely obese individuals (BMI ≥ 40), and those residing in long-term care or residential medical facilities, regardless of age. For these individuals, flu can more easily lead to serious complications, highlighting the importance of vaccination.
Vaccination is also strongly recommended for healthcare professionals and those regularly in contact with particularly vulnerable people, such as the elderly, infants, and individuals with chronic diseases.
Several healthcare professionals, including doctors, pharmacists, midwives, and nurses, are authorized to administer the vaccine and play a crucial role in public awareness.
While it is possible to contract the flu even after vaccination, immunization helps the body react more quickly and mitigate the severity of the illness. In France, an estimated 2,000 lives are saved annually among those aged 65 and over thanks to vaccination, according to Santé publique France data.
Side effects from the vaccine are rare and usually mild, such as fever or pain at the injection site, which are far less significant than the potential complications of a flu infection.
