Respiratory Infections Take a Larger Share of Health Centre and A&E Visits as Flu-Like Illness Rises Early, but Flu Activity Is Still Sporadic

Respiratory infections and flu-like illness made up a slightly larger share of visits to health centres and hospital emergency departments in the week of 5 to 11 October, the Direção-Geral da Saúde (DGS, Directorate-General of Health) said in its weekly seasonal surveillance report, published on 16 October. Total demand on both services fell, and flu activity is still classed as sporadic.

What the figures show

According to report n.º 201 of the DGS seasonal response, primary care in the Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS, National Health Service) held 554,689 medical consultations in week 41, 19.7 percent fewer than the week before. Acute respiratory infection accounted for 3.4 percent of them, up 0.1 points, and flu-like illness for 0.13 percent, up 0.03 points. That is roughly 18,900 respiratory consultations, by our calculation.

Hospital emergency departments recorded 116,680 episodes, down 1.5 percent. Acute respiratory infection made up 6.4 percent of them (about 7,500 episodes, by our arithmetic), up 0.2 points, and flu-like illness 0.26 percent. The DGS says the share of emergency visits for flu-like illness began rising earlier than in previous seasons, though it remains below the level seen in the 2019/2020 season.

The SNS 24 helpline triaged 73,135 calls, 3.3 percent more than the week before, and calls for acute respiratory problems rose 19.6 percent to 12,658. No flu patients were reported in intensive care, and no children under two had been admitted to hospital with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) this season. Mortality was within expected levels, though the DGS noted a rising trend in the share of deaths from respiratory diseases, at 10.3 percent, and in COVID-19 deaths.

Which viruses are circulating

The weekly flu bulletin of the Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA, National Health Institute) shows that hospital laboratories detected 26 flu cases in week 41, all influenza A; of those subtyped, five were A(H3) and five A(H1)pdm09. Since the season began in week 40, the labs have notified 4,186 respiratory infections and found 61 cases of flu. Rhinoviruses and enteroviruses were the most common other viruses. New COVID-19 cases fell 20 percent to 4 per 100,000 people over seven days.

Who can get a free jab, and where

The flu campaign runs from 30 September 2026 to 31 March 2027 under Norma n.º 006/2026. The free flu jab covers people aged 60 and over, children aged six months to four years, pregnant women, people aged 5 to 59 with qualifying health conditions and residents of care homes, among others. Participating pharmacies can give it free to anyone aged 60 to 84, and to people aged 18 to 59 with a qualifying condition. Anyone eligible can also go to an SNS health centre.

For COVID-19, the age threshold for the seasonal jab rose from 60 to 70 this year. Pharmacies vaccinate people aged 70 to 84, and those aged 18 to 69 with risk conditions. By 11 October, 507,462 flu doses and 229,043 COVID-19 doses had been given, covering about 9.8 percent and 7.3 percent of over-60s respectively. We reported earlier this week that three in five flu jabs so far were given at a pharmacy, and you can check your own vaccine record on SNS 24.

Call SNS 24 before going to A&E

The DGS asks people who feel unwell to use SNS 24 (808 24 24 24) as their first point of contact with the health service, and to call 112 in an emergency. People with acute respiratory symptoms are advised to avoid crowded indoor spaces, wear a mask around other people, wash their hands often and keep rooms ventilated.