Flu Cases on the Rise in Croatia as Vaccine Expected This Week

Croatia has reported 428 cases of flu since the start of the new monitoring season at the end of September, according to the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ). Of those, 130 were recorded in the last week alone, up from 97 the week before and 79 in the week prior to that.

Cases have been reported in most counties, with Dubrovnik-Neretva County showing the highest rate per 100,000 inhabitants last week. As in previous years, the highest incidence is among preschool and school-age children, while people aged 65 and over have the lowest rates.

Laboratory confirmation remains limited: the National Reference Centre for Influenza at HZJZ confirmed only one positive sample last week, typed as influenza A. Data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) show sporadic flu cases in other EU countries as well, with type A viruses predominating.

Health Minister Irena Hrstić said on Tuesday that the flu vaccine is expected to arrive in Croatia this week. HZJZ has ordered 420,000 doses. "The vaccine is on its way to Croatia, so I am sure that vaccination will be possible in time, before the flu reaches its peak," she said. The goal is to vaccinate before the expected winter surge, which typically runs from December to March.

Vaccination will begin as soon as the doses are distributed, and health authorities encourage those at higher risk—including the elderly, people with chronic conditions, and healthcare workers—to get vaccinated before flu activity intensifies.