Flu season in Czechia
Current flu, COVID-19 and RSV activity in Czechia, based on ECDC ERVISS weekly data from the State Health Institute (SZÚ). 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
Get one free alert when the wave turns in Czechia
We write exactly once: the moment the level goes up. No account, no newsletter. We store your address and the country, nothing else. Every mail has a one click unsubscribe. Privacy
View the last 8 weeks
In week 33 of 2026, Influenza activity in Czechia 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-19LowstableWeek 33Trend: stable · Week 33
- RSVLowstableWeek 33Trend: stable · Week 33
What this means
In week 33 of 2026, activity of influenza (seasonal flu) in Czechia is low. The trend, derived from clinical surveillance, is stable. Activity has barely shifted over the past few weeks.
Data, context and methodology
The current picture for Czechia is built on the European Respiratory Virus Surveillance Summary (ERVISS), published weekly by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). the State Health Institute (SZÚ) via the sentinel ARI/ILI network 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 Czechia's case the State Health Institute (SZÚ) via the sentinel ARI/ILI network, 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
the State Health Institute (SZÚ) via the sentinel ARI/ILI network 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 the State Health Institute (SZÚ) via the sentinel ARI/ILI surveillance network. Seasonally, infection waves in Czechia 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 the State Health Institute (SZÚ) via the sentinel ARI/ILI surveillance network. Seasonally, infection waves in Czechia 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 the State Health Institute (SZÚ) via the sentinel ARI/ILI surveillance network. Seasonally, infection waves in Czechia typically peak between December and February; activity is usually markedly lower in spring and summer.
Frequently asked questions
When is flu season in Czechia?
Czech flu activity usually starts rising in late December, peaks between January and March, and eases by April. The precise window shifts year to year with the dominant influenza subtypes and residual immunity. SZÚ, the State Health Institute (Státní zdravotní ústav), publishes weekly influenza updates through its sentinel ARI/ILI network. Central European climates tend to produce peaks similar in timing to neighbouring Germany, Austria, and Slovakia.
How does SZÚ classify flu severity?
SZÚ describes influenza activity using an ARI/ILI consultation-rate band together with laboratory positivity and severity indicators from hospitals. The weekly picture is expressed qualitatively, from sporadic through regional to widespread, and is also reported to ECDC for the European Respiratory Virus Surveillance Summary (ERVISS). The qualitative framing lets clinicians and the public interpret whether the season is ordinary, elevated, or exceptional.
How is flu surveillance organised in Czechia?
Czechia's influenza surveillance combines a sentinel network of primary-care physicians reporting ARI and ILI consultations, virological confirmation at SZÚ's National Reference Laboratory for Influenza in Prague, and hospital notifications of severe cases. Weekly bulletins summarise the picture and feed ECDC ERVISS, which places Czechia's trajectory alongside Germany, Austria, Poland, and Slovakia.
Is the flu vaccine free in Czechia?
Czechia covers seasonal influenza vaccination through public health insurance for defined groups (adults aged 65 and above, residents of long-term-care facilities, people with chronic illnesses, and healthcare workers) with vaccines delivered by GPs and occupational-health services. Other adults can receive the vaccine at their own cost or through employer-sponsored programmes. SZÚ reports vaccine-uptake estimates alongside the weekly surveillance bulletin.
How does Czechia compare to its Central European neighbours?
Because Czechia reports into ECDC ERVISS with harmonised indicators, its weekly flu classification is directly comparable with Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Poland, and the rest of the EU/EEA. Central-European 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.
About this page
Published by Renderei Martin GmbH, Berlin. No commercial interest in individual health recommendations. The app is optionally monetised via a freemium subscription.
Content is based exclusively on the linked official surveillance publications. Medical statements are curated against the guidance of RKI, ECDC and WHO.
Methodology enquiries: press@infectrisk.com