The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has launched the National Seasonal Flu Awareness Campaign under the theme "Protecting yourself... protects your community". Running till the end of December 2021, the campaign is organized in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC), the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), and the Emirates Health Services (EHS).

The campaign is aimed at raising community awareness and boosting prevention to limit the impact of seasonal flu. It also encourages people to receive their seasonal flu vaccine as well as strengthen the potential of health workers by providing necessary training to them regarding the best international practices.

The campaign was launch during a press conference in Dubai in the presence of Dr. Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Under-Secretary for the Public Health Sector; Dr. Farida Al Hosani, Executive Director of the Communicable Diseases Department at ADPHC; Dr. Nada Al Marzouqi, Director of MoHAP's Preventive Medicine Department; and Dr. Shamsa Lootah, Director of Public Health Services Department at EHS. Dr. Laila Al Jasmi, Head of the Immunisation Department at MoHAP and Dr. Hend Al Awadhi, Head of Health Promotion and Education Section at DHA's Public Health Protection Department were also present during the ceremony along with other senior representatives from the ADPHC, SEHA, DHA, and EHS.

The campaign targets all community members with priority given to pregnant women, elderly aged 50 and older, patients with chronic diseases, children aged under the age of 5, and healthcare workers. As part of the communication campaign, the authorities will be utilizing social media platforms, newspapers and websites, television and radio interviews, and visual materials published via satellite channels and news websites to raise awareness about the initiative among the public.

Addressing the ceremony, Al Rand noted that the annual seasonal flu awareness campaign is one of the most important events launched by the MoHAP. It aims to develop the health system’s response to respiratory diseases, strengthen surveillance mechanisms, and improve the results of strategic indicator of the vaccination coverage rate in accordance with international standards, he added.

Noting the significance of health security, risk prevention and containment of disease as a national priority, the MoHAP will provide vaccines to people at all its health facilities.

Al Rand highlighted that the ministry will ensure all possible efforts to implement the precautionary and preventive measures at all health facilities during the campaign. It will spread awareness about the need to receive the seasonal flu vaccine as a necessity to limit the burdens on the country's health sector as they focus on handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

He added that the UAE's success in managing and minimizing the impact of the pandemic represents the foundation of its efforts in immunizing community members from infectious diseases. It is the integration of health authorities' performance under a national health system that helped in successfully tackling the pandemic.

As part the campaign, relevant healthcare authorities will raise community awareness about seasonal influenza and potential ways to prevent it. They will also provide vaccination to all eligible members to achieve universal coverage. The official further affirmed the readiness of the health sector in welcoming people willing to get the vaccine in line with precautionary and preventive measures.

The campaign will also boost vaccination coverage among health workers and strengthen their efficiency in accordance with highest standard of international recommendations and scientific methods. Authorities will organize lectures, workshops, and training to impart relevant knowledge about new methods of preventing seasonal influenza and preventing related risks.

It is important to note that this year's seasonal flu is coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidently, it poses unprecedented challenges for the health sector. In this regard, the authorities have called for increased community commitment to comply with necessary preventive measures to limit the spread of the two viruses.

Over the six decades, the seasonal flu vaccine has proven safe and effective in protecting people from common viruses and reducing hospital length of stay and other health complications. Therefore, authorities urge health workers to take the seasonal influenza vaccine, highlighting their importance as the first line of defence. It is particularly important for health workers in emergency departments, outpatient clinics, primary healthcare centres, and intensive care units to receive the vaccine in order to reduce transmission of the disease to patients and family members.

Dr. Lootah explained the strategy of the health authorities to handle seasonal influenza by boosting the readiness of hospitals and health centers to treat infected patients efficiently. The authorities have intensified and expanded their efforts to reach the wider community with the aim of help them in differentiating between the symptoms of seasonal influenza and Coronavirus. She also urged community members to take the influenza vaccine and comply with necessary preventive measures to contain the spread of seasonal flu.

During the event, Dr. Al Awadhi also underscored the ongoing efforts of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) to protect the health and wellbeing of society against various diseases, including seasonal flu. Dr Al Awadhi hailed the support and cooperation shown by all concerned authorities in achieving the national goals of the campaign.

In conclusion, Dr. Al Awadi highlighted the safety of the influenza vaccine and its effectiveness in reducing flu symptoms and its negative complications. It is particularly crucial for those in higher-risk groups including children under the age of 5, elderly over the age of 65, pregnant women, people with chronic diseases, and health workers.

WAM