Flu season in Greece
Current flu, COVID-19 and RSV activity in Greece — based on ECDC ERVISS weekly data from the National Public Health Organization (EODY). Rescaled into a consultation-equivalent signal for a qualitative low / moderate / high classification.
Current situation: Influenza
In week 15 of 2026, activity of influenza (seasonal flu) in Greece is low. The trend — derived from clinical surveillance — is rising. Over a four-week comparison, a clear decline is visible.
The classification is based on the ECDC ERVISS weekly reports, drawing on data from the National Public Health Organization (EODY) via the sentinel GP network. Seasonally, infection waves in Greece typically peak between December and February; activity is usually markedly lower during the summer months. How severe a given season becomes depends on the circulating virus variant and the population's immune status, among other factors.
Data sources and methodology
The current picture for Greece is built on the European Respiratory Virus Surveillance Summary (ERVISS), published weekly by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). the National Public Health Organization (EODY) via the sentinel GP 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 Greece's case the National Public Health Organization (EODY) via the sentinel GP 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 National Public Health Organization (EODY) via the sentinel GP 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.
Frequently asked questions
When is flu season in Greece?
Greek flu activity usually starts rising in late November or December, peaks between December and February, and eases by March. Southern European winters tend to produce slightly earlier peaks than Central or Northern Europe. EODY — the National Public Health Organization (Εθνικός Οργανισμός Δημόσιας Υγείας) — publishes weekly influenza updates through its sentinel GP network. The precise window shifts year to year with the dominant subtypes and residual immunity.
How does EODY classify flu severity?
EODY describes influenza activity in qualitative phases — baseline, pre-epidemic, epidemic, and post-epidemic — based on sentinel consultations, laboratory positivity, and hospital indicators. These classifications appear in the weekly respiratory-virus bulletin and are also reported to ECDC for the European Respiratory Virus Surveillance Summary (ERVISS). The qualitative framing helps clinicians and the public interpret whether pressure on health services is ordinary, elevated, or exceptional.
How is flu surveillance organised in Greece?
Greece's influenza surveillance combines a sentinel network of primary-care physicians reporting influenza-like illness, virological confirmation at EODY's national reference laboratories, and hospital notifications of severe cases. Weekly bulletins integrate these indicators and feed ECDC ERVISS, which places Greece's trajectory alongside Italy, Cyprus, and the rest of the EU/EEA.
Is the flu vaccine free in Greece?
Greece offers free seasonal influenza vaccination to priority groups defined by EODY and the Ministry of Health, including adults aged 60 and above, pregnant women, people with chronic illnesses, residents of long-term-care facilities, and healthcare workers. Vaccines are delivered through pharmacies and family doctors under a prescription-based programme. EODY reports vaccine-uptake estimates alongside the weekly surveillance bulletin.
How does Greece compare to other Southern European countries?
Because Greece reports into ECDC ERVISS with harmonised indicators, its weekly flu classification is directly comparable with Italy, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, and the rest of the EU/EEA. Southern European countries often see peak windows between December and February, slightly earlier than Central or Northern Europe. Lead–lag patterns are visible in ECDC's side-by-side dashboards.
Want the actual numbers?
You'll find them in the app.
Here you only see the trend. In the app: exact incidence rates, “X out of 100 people infectious”, your personal risk based on age and pre-existing conditions, wastewater trends, 36 countries, home-screen widget.
