Winter is coming. And the flu could just beat it. The early return of the epidemic in several countries in the Northern Hemisphere has health authorities concerned that the virus is arriving earlier than usual, and this has been greeted with great fanfare in France. “Flu cases are being detected much earlier than usual this year, which means time is of the essence. If you are eligible for vaccination, don’t wait”urged Edoardo Colzani, head of respiratory viruses at the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, a body specializing in epidemic monitoring, Friday 21 November. The same concerns occur in England, which “could experience one of the worst flu seasons in its history”fears Conor Meehan, professor of bioinformatics and epidemiology specialist at Nottingham Trent University, in a column published in Conversation.
Flu is transmitted by a virus that spreads throughout the world during the cold months. In July and August, this disease is more common in the Southern Hemisphere and in January or February it is more common in the Northern Hemisphere. This year, Australia experienced a severe epidemic, with 441,000 confirmed cases compared to 363,000 cases in 2024. In Japan and the UK in particular, the virus started spreading very early, in September or October. France is spared for now. On November 19, in mainland France, Public Health France noted “the beginning of the circulation of the influenza virus”
