Vulnerable groups in the UAE have been urged to take the flu vaccine to protect themselves this winter.
A national campaign was launched on Tuesday, with the flu season in the UAE usually beginning in late September and running until late March. In the Southern Hemisphere, which has just had its winter, the total number of cases dropped significantly this year, compared with a far more severe 2025 season.
The severity of cases in the Antipodes is considered to be a bellwether for seasonal flu in the UAE. Early winter tracking in Australia showed the case tally was half the number reported in the same period last year.
But the Ministry of Health and Prevention has still encouraged children, the elderly, health workers, expectant mothers and people with chronic health conditions to take protective measures.
“The UAE continues to strengthen prevention as a sustainable national approach to protecting public health,” said Dr Hussain Al Rand, assistant undersecretary for public health at the ministry.
“This campaign forms part of a broader vision for implementing the National Policy for Communicable Disease Control. It a comprehensive national framework for controlling communicable diseases, particularly seasonal respiratory diseases such as influenza, with the aim of reducing their impact and complications on community health.”
The campaign aims to raise awareness about the importance of vaccines, as well as influenza and other seasonal respiratory diseases. Healthcare workers are also to be trained in the global best practices for prevention.
Because the flu virus mutates each year, new vaccines are required before winter to help protect people. While most people recover without treatment, the illness can still pose risks, particularly to vulnerable groups.
Each year, there are about one billion cases of seasonal flu, including three million to five million cases of severe illness, the World Health Organisation has said. The virus causes up to 650,000 respiratory deaths annually, with developing countries accounting for 99 per cent of deaths in children under five, it added.
Vaccines are available at hospitals and clinics across the UAE.
Hand hygiene
Dr Heidi Abdelhamid, a GP at Medcare Medical Centre in Al Yufrah, Dubai, said good hand hygiene, along with vaccination, was the best form of defence against flu.
“The best approach is to prepare proactively,” she said. “Vaccination remains one of the most effective measures available to protect against certain preventable infections and, importantly, to reduce the risk of severe disease and complications.
“Receiving seasonal vaccinations before the peak of winter gives the immune system time to develop an adequate protective response.
“I would encourage individuals to discuss their vaccination needs with their healthcare provider, who can advise them on which seasonal vaccines are appropriate based on their age, medical history and individual risk factors. Prevention is always preferable to treating avoidable complications after illness has developed.”
