Flu season in Ireland
Current flu, COVID-19 and RSV activity in Ireland — based on ECDC ERVISS weekly data from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC). 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 Ireland is low. The trend — derived from clinical surveillance — is stable. 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 Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) via the ICGP-HSE sentinel GP network. Seasonally, infection waves in Ireland 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 Ireland is built on the European Respiratory Virus Surveillance Summary (ERVISS), published weekly by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) via the ICGP-HSE 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 Ireland's case the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) via the ICGP-HSE 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 Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) via the ICGP-HSE 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 Ireland?
Irish flu activity typically starts rising in November or December, peaks between December and February, and eases through March and April. Timing and intensity vary year to year with the dominant influenza subtypes and residual population immunity. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) publishes a weekly Respiratory Viruses Report describing the season in qualitative phases.
How does HPSC classify flu severity?
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre classifies flu activity in qualitative bands — baseline, low, medium, high, very high — drawing on sentinel GP consultations for influenza-like illness, sentinel-laboratory positivity, hospitalisations, and ICU admissions for severe acute respiratory infection. Each week's classification is compared with historical reference ranges. HPSC also transmits Irish indicators to ECDC for inclusion in ERVISS.
How is flu surveillance organised in Ireland?
Ireland's flu surveillance combines the ICGP/HPSC Sentinel GP Network reporting weekly influenza-like illness consultations, sentinel laboratories testing respiratory samples for influenza subtypes, and hospital-admission surveillance. The National Virus Reference Laboratory at UCD performs virological characterisation. Results feed HPSC's weekly Respiratory Viruses Report and ECDC ERVISS.
Is the flu vaccine free in Ireland?
Ireland offers free seasonal flu vaccination each autumn to priority groups including adults aged 65 and above, pregnant women, people with chronic conditions, healthcare workers, and children aged 2–17 through a nasal-spray programme. Vaccines are administered through GPs and participating pharmacies under the HSE's seasonal campaign. HPSC publishes vaccination-coverage estimates alongside its weekly flu surveillance.
How does Ireland compare to its European neighbours?
Because Ireland reports into ECDC ERVISS with harmonised indicators, its weekly flu classification is directly comparable with the UK, France, the Netherlands, and the rest of the EU/EEA. Ireland's Atlantic maritime climate and smaller population mean peaks can be narrower than in continental Europe. Lead–lag differences of a few weeks between Ireland and neighbours are common and visible in ECDC's 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.
