"Last year there were 17,000 deaths": why are more and more French people getting vaccinated against the flu?

Aches and pains, chills, high fever? Be careful, these could be symptoms of the flu. According to Public Health France , the virus has already taken hold in mainland France, with cases reported in the Ardennes, Corsica, and the Somme, for example. And to fight the flu , there is a vaccine. The vaccination campaign is breaking records, with a 35% increase compared to 2024.

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For the first time in her life, 21-year-old Alicia will opt for vaccination because she works in the healthcare sector: “I’m going to get vaccinated against the flu because I’m a nurse, and I think it’s important to protect myself and others. It’s also to have fewer symptoms if I catch the disease.”

75% of vaccinated people are over 65, including Claude, a young retiree: “I’m getting older and it seems important to me to do it. I know it’s not talked about enough, but many people die from the flu, so it’s important.”

17,000 deaths were recorded in France last year, according to figures from the Ministry of Health. Jean-Charles Bettan, a pharmacist, ordered 30% more vaccines this year and is seeing a surge in patients.

“Specifically, I had ordered 500 vaccines, and we have already sold a little over 200. So normally, we should be on track to last until the end of the campaign.”

And according to the federation of pharmaceutical unions in France, five million doses have already been delivered.

For Philippe Besset, a pharmacist in Aude and president of the FSPF union, this good start to the vaccination campaign is not a surprise: "Last year, the flu caused 17,000 deaths. Vulnerable people are afraid and are getting vaccinated."

Last season, nearly two million people sought medical help for flu-like symptoms and 30,000 were hospitalized, and excess mortality of 17,600 people was recorded compared to approximately 12,000 during typical episodes.