The 2026–2027 epidemic season for influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections has begun in Ukraine. This was reported by the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health on September 28, UNN writes.
When the epidemic season begins
This week marks the beginning of the season of enhanced epidemiological surveillance for acute respiratory viral infections (ARVIs). It will continue until May 23, 2027.
This is the period when the incidence of influenza and other respiratory infections traditionally increases, while the epidemiological surveillance system works to promptly record changes in the epidemiological situation and respond to them.
Preparing the system for the new epidemic season
Taking into account the results of the previous epidemic season, preparations for the new season began well before its official start. During the summer and early autumn, epidemiologists verified that healthcare facilities and virology laboratories were ready to work under increased workloads and that the collection and transmission of data had been properly organized.
Results of the previous epidemic season
During the 2025–2026 epidemic season, 4,236,118 cases of influenza and ARVIs were registered in Ukraine. The incidence rate was 7.1% lower than during the corresponding period of the previous epidemic season. During the season, 11.9% of Ukraine's population sought medical care for respiratory infections. Of the total number of people who fell ill, 2,390,625 (56.4%) were children under 17, which is characteristic of the respiratory group of infections.
The largest number of influenza and ARVI cases during the previous epidemic season was registered in Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv, Odesa, and Kharkiv regions, owing to the large population size and density of these regions, the high intensity of migration processes, and the concentration of the urban population.
During the epidemic season, ARVI incidence followed a wave-like pattern, with the highest average intensity of the epidemic process in Ukraine recorded in week 8 (February 16–22, 2026) — 508.9 per 100,000 population.
The 2025–2026 epidemic season was characterized by a polyetiological structure of circulating respiratory pathogens. Influenza viruses of types B and A (with type A(H3) influenza viruses predominating), respiratory syncytial viruses (RSV), parainfluenza viruses, adenoviruses, rhinoviruses, metapneumoviruses, and SARS-CoV-2 were detected in clinical specimens.
During the 2025–2026 epidemic season, the incidence of COVID-19 did not significantly affect the course of the ARVI epidemic process. It accounted for 0.5% of the total number of registered ARVI cases.
During the 2025–2026 epidemic season, 201 deaths associated with acute respiratory infections were registered through routine and sentinel epidemiological surveillance systems, including 86 cases resulting from influenza and other ARVIs and 115 cases among people with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19.
Mortality dynamics did not correlate with the overall course of the epidemic process. The incidence rate of influenza and ARVIs gradually increased from the beginning of the year and reached its highest level in week 8 of 2026 (February 16–22, 2026). At the same time, the highest number of deaths from influenza and ARVIs was recorded several weeks before the incidence peak. This pattern may indicate the earlier involvement in the epidemic process of people from medical risk groups, among whom severe forms of the disease and complications develop more frequently.
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