The flu is slowly rising in power, vaccination stalled

Written by Sandeep Nehra

The flu is slowly rising in power in France, without reaching, far from it, the epidemic level, but the number of vaccinations is lower than it was in the same period two years ago, before the epidemic H1N1.

The network of Grog (Regional Groups observation flu), which followed including pharmacy customers, patients or general medicine and pediatrics calls to SOS Doctors, determined Thursday that the number of flu cases increased “gradually”, but with an impact “very modest”.

“More than one in five nasopharyngeal swab taken during the past two weeks by doctors Grog lookouts are positive for influenza,” the network. These influenza viruses of subtypes A (H1N1), A (H3N2) and B, the three that is the vaccine.

The network notes that the school holidays and cold “can influence the spread of the virus.” “Those at risk should really hang out more to get vaccinated against influenza,” he adds.

The sentinel network of Inserm, which includes GPs, also stressed that influenza activity remains “low”, although it has almost doubled in two weeks: 77 cases of influenza-like illness seen by general practitioners per 100,000 residents last week, against 42 in late November.

It remains far from the epidemic threshold, set at 166 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

Like all years, all people over 65 have received a vaccination voucher, along with, whatever their age, those with certain long-term conditions (diabetes, disabling stroke, HIV infection) and those with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Since this year, are also invited to be vaccinated for free general practitioners, nurses and midwives engaged in a liberal, said the CNAM.

Yet only 5.5 million people (out of 12.5 million people invited to do so) have been vaccinated since the launch of the campaign, according to the CNAM, confirming a report given Thursday by Parisien. 15% less than in 2007 and 2008, although the figures were a week and could be a little higher.

The coverage rate was 58.7% at the end of the 2008/2009 season, and reached 60.2% at the end of the 2009/2010.

Already in Britain eight deaths were attributed to the H1N1 virus since late summer, and two to another virus. At the meeting, we recorded six deaths from influenza in late winter in the southern hemisphere.

The Director General of Health recalls Didier Houssin in Le Parisien that “it is not too late” to get vaccinated. The vaccination campaign, opened Sept. 24, to be completed Jan. 31.

• AIDS: U.S. experts to market the first preventive treatment
• KFC will pay 6.3 million euros to an intoxicated teenage girl by a chicken sandwich
• United States: a case of mad cow disease in California
• Moderate deficits in vitamin D are common in France
• Removing a dietary supplement containing a hazardous substance