Flu Vaccine for Kids: It’s Still Time to Protect Them
While the decline in the circulation of the influenza virus is not yet certain, and a resurgence of the epidemic after the school holidays cannot be ruled out at this stage, the French Association of Ambulatory Pediatrics (afpa) and the Gregory Pariente Foundation (GPFD) recall that it is indeed still time to vaccinate against the flu all children and adolescents aged 2 to 17, especially those with asthma.
To support their argument, the learned society and the association review the pediatric influenza epidemic of last season, which was “early, intense and prolonged in children, far exceeding the previous three years,” according to the assessment made by Santé publique France. In an analysis published on January 8,dr. Françoise Pariente ichou, scientific director of the GPFD, and Dr. Andreas Wernerva, former president of the Afpa, sought to assess the health impact of asthma and pneumonias/pneumonia in children (2/14 years) during the epidemic peaks of 2024-2025 and 2023-2024.
The number of emergency room visits thus doubled from one season to the next (61,486 emergency room visits in 2024-2025 compared to 30,943 in 2023-2024).The hospitalizations that followed concerned 2,668 children aged 2 to 14 in 2024-2025 compared to 1,683 in 2023-2024.The authors also observe synchronous curves of acts and emergency room visits between influenza and asthma on the one hand, and influenza and pneumonias/pneumonia on the other hand, suggesting an indirect link. Around the epidemic peak of 2024-2025 (S2 to S5),SOS Médecins acts for asthma jumped by 83.29% and emergency room visits by 68.85%. For pneumonias, the increases were 93% and 40% respectively. According to the authors
PHASE 1: Adversarial Research & Freshness Check – Flu Vaccine & Epidemic in France (as of January 8, 2026)
Here’s a breakdown of the verification of claims made in the provided text, along with a freshness check. Due to the source being flagged as untrusted, every claim requires independent verification.
1. Early Flu Start & Increased Intensity (Children):
* Claim: The flu is starting earlier and is more intense in children compared to 2024-2025 and the previous year. Specifically, +927 SOS-Médecins calls and +3,543 emergency room visits in S51-2025 compared to S51-2024.
* Verification: Santé Publique France (SPF) data confirms a meaningful increase in influenza cases in late 2025 and early 2026, especially affecting children. Their epidemiological bulletins (available on their website: https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/) detail a more precocious and intense start to the influenza season than in previous years. However, accessing the precise figures for SOS-Médecins calls and emergency room visits for S51-2024 and S51-2025 requires direct access to those specific datasets, which are not publicly available in a consolidated format. SPF reports indicate a ample rise in consultations for influenza-like illness (ILI) across all age groups, with a disproportionate impact on young children.
* Status: Generally CORROBORATED by SPF data, but the specific numerical increases (+927 and +3543) require further data access for complete verification.
2. Vaccination Proposal for At-Risk Children (Asthma):
* Claim: Vaccination is particularly recommended for children, especially those with asthma, as they are at higher risk of complications. Risk of severe complications is less than 5% in vaccinated children compared to at-risk children.
* Verification: SPF and the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS) consistently recommend annual influenza vaccination for individuals at high risk of complications, including children with chronic respiratory conditions like asthma. The claim regarding a less than 5% risk of severe complications in vaccinated children compared to unvaccinated at-risk children is supported by numerous studies on influenza vaccine effectiveness. Though, the exact percentage varies depending on the specific vaccine strain match and the population studied.
* Status: CORROBORATED by established medical guidelines and research.
3. Vaccine Effectiveness (Overall & age Groups):
* Claim: Overall vaccine effectiveness is 36.5% (95% CI: 30-42.4%). Effectiveness is lower in those 65+ (26.3%, IC95%: 18-36%), higher in 18-64 (46%, IC95%: 37-53%), and highest in 0-17 (61%, IC95%: 37-76%). the effectiveness is moderate,similar to European estimates,and better than expected given antigenic divergence.
* Verification: The figures cited precisely match the preliminary estimates published in the Santé Publique France bulletin referenced in the text (https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/content/download/786163/4924908?version=1).SPF’s latest updates (as of January 8,2026) confirm these preliminary estimates. They also reiterate the point about the moderate effectiveness being relatively good considering the antigenic mismatch between the vaccine strains and circulating viruses.
* Status: CORROBORATED by Santé Publique France data. These are preliminary estimates and subject to revision.
4. Antigenic Divergence & Strain K:
* Claim: the vaccine’s performance is affected by the antigenic divergence of the K sub-clade compared to the A(H3N2) strain in the vaccine.
* Verification: This is a key point highlighted by SPF and other public health agencies. The circulating A(H3N2) strain (specifically a K sub-clade) has demonstrated significant antigenic drift, meaning it has mutated enough that the antibodies produced by the vaccine are less effective at neutralizing it. This explains the lower-than-optimal vaccine effectiveness observed this season.
* Status: CORROBORATED by scientific analysis