Flu season: How is it spreading across the EU and what are countries doing about it?

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Flu season: How is it spreading across the EU and what are countries doing about it?   While most EU countries continue to face a rise in flu cases, a higher share of citizens are getting vaccinated.  READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2026/01/13/flu-season-how-is-it-spreading-across-the-eu-and-what-are-countires-doing-about-it  Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages

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00:00How is the flu spreading across the EU?

00:06In 2025, cases of the flu across the European Union increased three to four weeks earlier

00:12than in the previous two seasons. Europe's flu season usually runs mid-November to late May.

00:17Influenza A is dominant in all EU countries, with most reporting widespread activity at

00:23low to medium intensity. Children between 5 and 14 years old are the main people getting ill.

00:28However, adults aged 65 and above are the ones being hospitalized.

00:33Up to one in five Europeans are infected with the flu every winter and it's associated with

00:38about 27,600 deaths annually across the EU. For instance, last year, in the first week of

00:45December, Ireland registered a rise of 49% in flu cases. Key recommendations include vaccination,

00:53use of antivirals and wearing face masks in healthcare and long-term care facilities.

00:58In France, around 11.4 million people were vaccinated against the flu in 2025. This figure shows an

01:05increase of 15.6% in comparison with the same period last year. In Belgium, a vaccination campaign has

01:12also been more successful this flu season. The country administered more than 1.9 million

01:18vaccines between September and mid-December, that is 103,000 more than the previous year.

01:24Symptoms of the flu can include headaches, fatigue, cough and a runny nose.

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