France is bracing for the peak of its current flu epidemic, with health officials predicting it will arrive either during the final days of 2025 or the first of 2026. [[1]] [[2]] While currently classified as moderate, the situation is intensifying nationwide, prompting renewed calls for vaccination and preventative measures from Minister of Health Stéphanie Rist. [[3]]
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French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist says the flu season in France is nearing its peak, as new data from Santé publique France indicates a growing intensity of the epidemic. Understanding the trajectory of the flu is crucial for public health planning and resource allocation.
The flu epidemic in France “is on the verge of peaking,” and “there is still time to get vaccinated,” Minister Rist reiterated Friday in Lyon. “We are approaching the peak,” she explained during a visit to the emergency room at Edouard-Herriot Hospital, “we know the peak has been reached once we start to see numbers decline. We are not yet in a phase of decline… but in a high phase.”
According to a report published Wednesday by Santé publique France, the flu epidemic continues to intensify across the country, though it remains currently classified as “moderate.” The institute estimates the epidemic peak will likely occur during the last week of 2025 (with a 72.5% probability) or in the first few days of 2026 (22.5%).
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Vaccination Rates Up Over 17%
“We have a vaccination campaign that has increased by more than 17% compared to last year, so we are better vaccinated overall. But again, I repeat, it is still time to get vaccinated,” Rist emphasized. “We also know from experience that every year after the holidays – around January 5th, when people return from traveling and gatherings – the number of cases can increase again,” she warned. “It’s important not to forget barrier measures,” such as wearing a mask if you have symptoms and washing your hands frequently, “measures that all French citizens now know, but are important to reiterate.”
When asked about the potential for requiring doctors to work, as has occurred in the Bouches-du-Rhône region where 17 general practitioners were requisitioned by the prefecture from December 25th to January 4th to address winter epidemics and staffing shortages, the minister assured that “this is not unusual. It can happen to ensure our citizens receive care.” “There is no obligation for private practice physicians to participate in this ambulatory care on-call service, but there is a collective responsibility. Therefore, I hope this can be achieved through collaboration between professionals, to establish on-call schedules,” she stated.
