"The 2025-26 flu epidemic is over in France." Public Health France summarized in a weekly report, highlighting that four regions – Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Centre-Val-de-Loire, Île-de-France, and Nouvelle-Aquitaine – had completely returned to normal. The other nine are expected to follow soon, as they are said to be in "Post-epidemic".
Overseas, however, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and French Guiana remain affected by the epidemic. It is still too early to assess the mortality figures, but the flu epidemic is already proving to be shorter than a year earlier, when it was marked by two successive peaks and was particularly deadly with more than 17,000 deaths.
The flu vaccination rate has improved slightly compared to last season
The public health agency notes that the vaccination rate has improved somewhat compared to last season, which was marked by rather poor figures. “As of December 31, 2025, the influenza vaccination coverage of all people targeted by vaccination (…) was 46.3%”, Public Health France estimates. "It was 53.3% in people aged 65 and over."
"These vaccination coverage rates are higher than those observed at the same date for the 2024-2025 season.", she emphasizes, recalling the figures: 42.5% for all people at risk (and) 49.8% among people aged 65 and over.
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Covid vaccination rates continue to decline
On the other hand, vaccination against Covid, recommended by the authorities in conjunction with that against the flu, continues to decline even though its rates are already very low: at the end of December, barely more than 15% of those over 65 and less than 13% of all people at risk had been vaccinated as part of the current campaign.
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Public Health France explains, however, that these figures may be underestimated due to a different counting methodology compared to influenza.
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