NNA-nbsp;The Ministry of Public Health in collaboration with the World Healthnbsp;Organizationnbsp;launched today thenbsp;seasonalnbsp;Influenza(flu)nbsp;vaccination campaignnbsp;at the Ministryrsquo;s premisesnbsp;followingnbsp;the recent arrival of 10,000 doses ofnbsp;seasonal flunbsp;vaccine to Lebanon.nbsp;
Ahead of the 2023/24 influenza season, the Ministry of Public Health received 10,000 doses of influenza vaccinenbsp;last weeknbsp;fromnbsp;the Partnership for International Vaccine Initiativesnbsp;(PIVI). Atnbsp;thenbsp;national level, additional doses may be available through the private sector for individual purchase in pharmacies or bulk purchasing for private hospitals.nbsp;
In order to maximize the impact ofnbsp;seasonal influenza vaccine,nbsp;the Ministry of Public Health has prioritized threenbsp;high-risk populationsbased on WHO recommendations:nbsp;
bull;nbsp;Frontline healthcare workersnbsp;working in thenbsp;public hospitals,nbsp;PHCs,nbsp;elderly homes, and cancer/dialysis publicnbsp;centers.
bull;nbsp;Elderly individuals residing in the elderly homes contracted with MoPH.
bull;nbsp;Individuals with underlying health conditions particularly dialysis patients covered by the MoPH.
Seasonal influenza causes considerable morbidity and mortality around the world annually. Worldwide,nbsp;according to the World Health Organization, seasonal influenza causesnbsp;about 3 to 5 million cases of severe illness annually and about 290,000 to 650,000 respiratory deaths,mainly among high-risk groups.
Although disease burden estimation for the countries is criticalnbsp;to strengthen national and global influenza preparedness, there is a lack of high-quality and up-to-date estimates of severe influenza burden at global,nbsp;regionalnbsp;and nationalnbsp;levels, specifically in low and middle-income countries. Similarly,nbsp;estimates of the burden of influenza in Lebanon are scarce.nbsp;However, thenbsp;MoPHnbsp;together with WHO are taking steps to enhance the surveillance of influenza and generate more accurate data to estimate the burden of influenza in the country.nbsp;
Available data estimates that the burden of influenzanbsp;in Lebanon wasestimatednbsp;to benbsp;48.1 per 100,000nbsp;seasonal influenza-associated respiratory hospitalization. The estimated ratenbsp;fornbsp;critically ill casesnbsp;due to seasonal influenza wasnbsp;12.9 per 100,000 with the highest rates among adults ge;65thinsp;years old (49.7 per 100,000).nbsp;Fornbsp;mortality, it was estimated thatnbsp;seasonalnbsp;influenza causes 347 deaths each season in Lebanon,nbsp;mainly among adults ge;65thinsp;years oldnbsp;and those with co-morbidities.nbsp;
Health Minister Dr Firass Abiadnbsp;stressednbsp;on two important points:
The first is that lsquo;the launch of the seasonal influenza vaccination campaign today and the launch of the breast cancer awareness campaign yesterday reflect that, despite all the difficulties, the Ministry of Public Health is still determined to carry out all its duties towards protecting society and its healthrdquo;. He then went on to praised the efforts made by workers in the Ministry of Public Health, the Primary Health Care Program, and workers in other programs, who, when new responsibilities are assigned to them, take the initiative to assume them in order tonbsp;protect their community. He added: quot;This is not strange, as we have all seen, especially during the COVID-19 crisis and many situations, that they were providing community service 24/7.quot;
ldquo;It is important tonbsp;vaccinatenbsp;health professionals, the elderly, and people with comorbidities as primary target groups followed by children and pregnant women in order to protect thenbsp;high-risk groups,rdquo; explained Dr.nbsp;Abdinasir Abubakar,nbsp;WHO representative in Lebanon.nbsp;ldquo;The only way to lessen the impact of a seasonalnbsp;influenzanbsp;is to vaccinate the most vulnerable and frontlinenbsp;healthnbsp;workers. The flu vaccinenbsp;is very effective tonbsp;protect individuals andnbsp;the wholenbsp;communitiesrdquo;.
Working hand in hand with the Ministry of Public Health, WHO always strives to ensure that every individual has access to health care and that no one is left behind, not only during seasonal outbreaks but also for regular healthcare. — WHO Lebanonnbsp;
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