Fever, cough, aches, fatigue... Anyone who has experienced the flu, even in good health, cannot take it completely lightly. It frequently requires interrupting one's usual activities for at least three to five days. However, since 2021, seasonal flu vaccination coverage has fallen by several points in France to stand at 53.7% overall in 2025, when the World Health Organization recommends 75% for people at risk.
Worse, the flu vaccine is even less well received than other vaccines. “One of the research network surveys carried out in the summer of 2025 shows that the flu vaccine is the one which receives the least favorable opinions, whether compared to vaccines against hepatitis B, HPV, measles, or vaccines in general,” points out Patrick Marcel Peretti-Watel, sociologist at the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM).
The vaccination campaign, which targets in particular people with comorbidities, those over 65 and pregnant women, has just started. We are trying to understand why the population is not showing interest in this vaccine.
A useless vaccine?
In a barometer published in 2021 by Public Health France on the obstacles to vaccination, the uselessness of the vaccine emerges for 41.6% of unvaccinated people in mainland France. This is followed by fear of adverse effects (13.6%) and 5.9% of them say they are opposed to vaccination.
“We regularly have flu vaccines [designed from virus strains in circulation during the previous year] which are less than 50% effective,” argues Patrick Marcel Peretti-Watel. So obviously, from a public health point of view, even a vaccine that is only 30% effective is going to save thousands of lives, but for an individual to be vaccinated and potentially have side effects, that doesn't raise a lot of enthusiasm. »
From an individual point of view, Doctor Duc Nguyen, doctor in the infectious and tropical diseases department at Bordeaux University Hospital, nevertheless emphasizes that this year, this allows a reduction of 30% in the risk of having the disease and of a little less than 40%, that of being hospitalized. “There is also an indirect benefit,” he emphasizes. When people are not sick they transmit less and therefore, if there are fewer infected people, there is less transmission of the disease in the general population. »
A distrust of the State?
In Scandinavian countries, children are vaccinated against the flu even though they have no direct benefit, with the aim of protecting their grandparents, the population at risk, reports Patrick Marcel Peretti-Watel. He points to cultural differences but also greater confidence in health authorities and more civic-mindedness.
“We observe that certain populations who feel mistreated by public authorities are even more reluctant to take the vaccine, for example in rural areas,” points out the sociologist. We can also cite caregivers, who are particularly unconvinced of its benefit. In nursing homes, where they are in contact with very vulnerable people, their vaccination coverage only reaches 25%.
Patrick Marcel Peretti-Watel also believes that the implementation of a bivalent COVID-19 flu vaccine has not worked in favor of the flu vaccine. And, the health crisis of 2019 and 2020 and its share of vaccination obligations have further strengthened distrust. “Many people felt forced to accept a vaccine when they were not convinced either of its effectiveness or of the absence of side effects,” he adds.
Lack of awareness of the risks
“I think we must keep in mind that the risk of hospitalization for a heart attack in the seven days following an episode of influenza is multiplied by six, so it is still relatively important,” recalls Doctor Nguyen who believes that vaccination against influenza plays an equally important role as statins in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
And this doctor points out that comorbidities (diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, etc.) concern many people, targeted by Health Insurance for sending vaccination vouchers.
In university hospitals where mobile teams are deployed to better inform caregivers about vaccination issues, we see an increase in their vaccination coverage. “But we will always have a tiny portion of opposing people,” puts Doctor Duc Nguyen into perspective.
All our information on the flu
A possible vaccination obligation in any case arouses a lot of opposition and could even be counterproductive. “Even restricted to caregivers, barely half of French people would be in favor,” points out the sociologist.
