Flu season in Austria
Current flu, COVID-19 and RSV activity in Austria, based on ECDC ERVISS weekly data from AGES (Agentur für Gesundheit und Ernährungssicherheit). Rescaled into a consultation-equivalent signal for a qualitative low / moderate / high classification.
Influenza: Low
Low
The source currently reports no meaningful activity (as of 16 Aug 2026).
Data window: Week 33 · Aug 10 – Aug 16 · Source: ECDC (weekly) · Source on seasonal break, next data from week 40
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View the last 8 weeks
In week 33 of 2026, Influenza activity in Austria is classified as low.
The source reports no meaningful activity across these weeks; a week-over-week percentage would be pure noise here.
The last 8 reported weeks
| Week | Relative | Level | vs prior week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 33 | – | Low | – |
| Week 32 | – | Low | – |
| Week 31 | – | Low | – |
| Week 30 | – | Low | – |
| Week 29 | – | Low | – |
| Week 28 | – | Low | – |
| Week 27 | – | Low | – |
| Week 26 | – | Low | – |
Across these weeks the source reports no meaningful activity, the values sit at the floor of its scale.
Current activity
- InfluenzaLowstableWeek 33Trend: stable · Week 33
- COVID-19LowfallingWeek 33Trend: falling · Week 33
- RSVLowstableWeek 33Trend: stable · Week 33
What this means
In week 33 of 2026, activity of influenza (seasonal flu) in Austria is low. The trend, derived from clinical surveillance, is stable.
Data, context and methodology
The current picture for Austria is built on the European Respiratory Virus Surveillance Summary (ERVISS), published weekly by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). AGES (Agentur für Gesundheit und Ernährungssicherheit) via its sentinel GP network and the Nationale Referenzzentrale für Influenza is the national public-health authority that feeds ERVISS with sentinel primary care and virology data.
ECDC ERVISS
ERVISS is ECDC's weekly pan-European surveillance summary for influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV. National authorities, in Austria's case AGES (Agentur für Gesundheit und Ernährungssicherheit) via its sentinel GP network and the Nationale Referenzzentrale für Influenza, submit harmonised indicators every week, which ECDC publishes in a standardised dataset on Thursdays. Using ERVISS rather than each country's native portal ensures cross-country comparability.
ILI / ARI consultation rates and positivity
AGES (Agentur für Gesundheit und Ernährungssicherheit) via its sentinel GP network and the Nationale Referenzzentrale für Influenza operates a sentinel network of general practices that report weekly rates of patients consulting for influenza-like illness (ILI) or acute respiratory infection (ARI). A subset of patients is swabbed and tested by reference laboratories, producing pathogen-specific positivity rates for flu, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV.
Why this source
Combining consultation incidence with virological positivity yields a pathogen-specific weekly incidence signal (ILI × positivity / 100). This is the standard European methodology and provides a more robust view than either indicator alone: consultation rates capture illness burden, positivity confirms which pathogen is driving it.
Qualitative classification
The “low”, “moderate” and “high” categories follow seasonal reference values and epidemiological thresholds calibrated to match our classifications for other countries. The ILI × positivity / 100 product is scaled to comparable thresholds using a divisor of 3, which aligns European sentinel peaks with the consultation-equivalent scale used elsewhere. Data refreshes weekly when ECDC publishes the latest ERVISS update, typically on Thursdays.
Source and seasonal pattern by pathogen
- Influenza
- The classification is based on the ECDC ERVISS weekly reports, drawing on data from AGES (Agentur für Gesundheit und Ernährungssicherheit) via its sentinel GP network and the Nationale Referenzzentrale für Influenza. Seasonally, infection waves in Austria typically peak between January and March; activity is usually markedly lower during the summer months.
- COVID-19
- The classification is based on the ECDC ERVISS weekly reports, drawing on COVID-19 surveillance data from AGES (Agentur für Gesundheit und Ernährungssicherheit) via its sentinel GP network and the Nationale Referenzzentrale für Influenza. Seasonally, infection waves in Austria typically peak during winter, with occasional summer waves driven by new variants; activity is usually markedly lower in late spring between waves.
- RSV
- The classification is based on the ECDC ERVISS weekly reports, drawing on RSV surveillance data from AGES (Agentur für Gesundheit und Ernährungssicherheit) via its sentinel GP network and the Nationale Referenzzentrale für Influenza. Seasonally, infection waves in Austria typically peak between December and February; activity is usually markedly lower in spring and summer.
Frequently asked questions
When is flu season in Austria?
Austrian flu activity usually starts rising in late December, peaks between January and March, and tails off by April. The precise window varies year to year with the dominant influenza subtypes and residual immunity. AGES, the Agentur für Gesundheit und Ernährungssicherheit, publishes weekly updates on influenza activity through its Diagnostisches Influenza-Netzwerk Österreich (DINÖ). Continental-climate timing means Austrian peaks often land close to those in Germany and Switzerland.
How does AGES classify flu severity?
AGES describes flu activity in qualitative bands (no activity, sporadic, local, regional, and widespread) based on sentinel GP consultations, laboratory positivity, and hospital signals. These classifications are reported weekly and also transmitted to ECDC for inclusion in the European Respiratory Virus Surveillance Summary (ERVISS). The qualitative framing lets clinicians and the public understand whether the season's pressure is ordinary, elevated, or exceptional relative to past winters.
How is flu surveillance organised in Austria?
Austria's influenza surveillance combines a sentinel network of general practitioners, regional laboratory testing coordinated by AGES, and notifications of severe cases under the Epidemiegesetz. Virological characterisation is done at the National Reference Centre for Influenza at AGES in Vienna. Weekly bulletins summarise the picture and feed ECDC's ERVISS, which places Austria's trajectory alongside other EU/EEA countries.
Is the flu vaccine free in Austria?
Austria gradually introduced a publicly funded seasonal flu vaccination programme (Öffentliches Impfprogramm Influenza, ÖIP), which makes the vaccine available free of charge in participating pharmacies, doctors' offices, and vaccination centres. Priority groups include older adults, pregnant women, people with chronic conditions, and healthcare workers. AGES reports vaccine-uptake estimates in parallel with its weekly surveillance bulletins.
How does Austria compare to its European neighbours?
Because Austria reports into ECDC ERVISS using harmonised indicators, its weekly flu classification is directly comparable with Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and the rest of the EU/EEA. Continental-climate countries typically see broadly similar peak windows between January and March. Lead–lag patterns of a few weeks are common and are visible in ECDC's side-by-side dashboards.
More situation reports
Data last refreshed: Aug 31, 2026, 11:10. Update cadence: weekly.
This page is not medical advice and does not replace consultation with a healthcare professional. For specific symptoms, please contact a medical professional.
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Content is based exclusively on the linked official surveillance publications. Medical statements are curated against the guidance of RKI, ECDC and WHO.
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