Reports: Flu Spreads across Europe amid Rising Infection Rates

Euronews revealed in its French-language bulletin on Wednesday that flu has spread across the European continent during the current winter season. 

The network noted that every winter, one in five Europeans contracts influenza, which causes approximately 27,600 deaths annually within the European Union.

Preliminary data from a multicenter primary healthcare study conducted by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) showed that seasonal influenza vaccines available in the European Union provide protection against Influenza A(H3N2), with vaccine effectiveness ranging between 52% and 57%.

During the final week of December 2025, France and its territories experienced a widespread influenza outbreak, with increased viral activity across the country except for Réunion Island, according to Santé Publique France, the government health agency affiliated with the French Ministry of Health.

People aged over 65 were the most affected, while children under 15 were less impacted, possibly due to school holidays. 

The influenza-related mortality rate increased during the last week of 2025 to 4.1%, compared to 3.9% during the same period the previous year. Nearly 11.4 million people in France received the flu vaccine over the past year, marking a 15.6% increase in vaccinations.

In Ireland, authorities recorded the highest number of influenza cases so far this winter season during the first week of December 2025, particularly among those aged 65 and older and children under 15, according to the country’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre.

Between November 30 and December 6, influenza cases rose by 49% compared to the previous week. 

Influenza-related hospital admissions increased from 415 to 657 cases, with children under 15 and adults over 65 being the most affected.

In Belgium, influenza has been spreading at a slower pace, according to Sciensano, the national public health research institute. 

During the final weeks of December 2025, people aged 15 to 64 and those aged 65 and above were the most affected.

Although visits to general practitioners for flu-like symptoms remained relatively low, they increased to 194 visits per 100,000 people during the first week of 2026. Brussels was the most affected region, followed by Wallonia and Flanders.

Hospital admissions due to severe acute respiratory infections caused by influenza are increasing, though they remain relatively low. 

Belgium’s vaccination campaign has been more successful this season than in previous years, with more than 1.9 million vaccine doses administered between September and mid-December 2025, an increase of 103,000 doses compared to last year.

In Portugal, 1,340 influenza cases were recorded during the first week of January 2026, alongside an increase in deaths exceeding 1,700 cases.

According to the latest report from Portugal’s Directorate-General of Health, more than 2.5 million influenza vaccine doses had been administered by early January. 

Individuals aged over 85 were the most likely to receive the flu vaccine, with a coverage rate of 86.98%, followed by those aged 80–84 (78.11%). Vaccination coverage among people over 65 reached 74.47%.