According to the Hellenic National Public Health Organization (EODY), Greece is now experiencing the same wave of seasonal influenza activity seen in many countries in the Northern Hemisphere, beginning sooner than in the previous two monitoring periods.
Public health officials report that a specific subclade, known as K, of the influenza A (H3N2) virus is circulating globally and has also been identified in Greece. A risk assessment published on 20 November 2025 by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) classifies the threat to the general population as moderate if this strain becomes dominant during the current flu season. However, the risk is considered high for vulnerable groups, including people aged 65 and over, individuals with chronic or underlying medical conditions, pregnant women, immunocompromised patients and residents of long-term care facilities.
In light of the rising cases and with the holiday season approaching, Greek health authorities are strongly encouraging preventive action. Vaccination against influenza is being emphasized as the most effective tool to prevent severe illness and death, particularly among high-risk populations. EODY also advises the prompt use of antiviral treatment for vulnerable individuals who develop flu-like symptoms, even before laboratory confirmation, and notes that preventive antiviral medication may be necessary in the event of outbreaks in closed settings such as care homes. At the same time, authorities stress the importance of basic protective measures, including good hand hygiene, avoiding contact between hands and the face, mask use in crowded indoor spaces for those at higher risk, proper ventilation and staying at home when symptoms appear.
EODY says it remains on high alert and continues to closely monitor epidemiological and virological trends. Influenza activity is recorded in its weekly surveillance reports on respiratory infections, which are publicly available through its official channels.
Speaking to the Greek television channel Action24, epidemiology professor Theodora Psaltopoulou from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (EKPA) described what has been referred to as a “super flu” as a known variant of influenza A that appears to be more contagious. She explained that higher transmissibility means more people become infected simultaneously, though there is currently no evidence of more severe disease. Similar patterns, she noted, are being observed across Europe and the wider Northern Hemisphere, including the United Kingdom and France, where healthcare systems are facing increased pressure from a rise in hospital admissions, particularly among older adults and immunocompromised patients.
Professor Psaltopoulou underlined that mask use remains an important protective measure for vulnerable groups and reiterated that influenza vaccination plays a key role in reducing the risk of serious illness.
