More than 400 Vietnamese and international healthcare professionals were updated with the latest scientific knowledge on global influenza and influenza vaccinations during a series of scientific seminars held in HCM City.

The scientific seminar series were organised by Sanofi Southeast Asia and India.

Key activities included an event to meet and listen to insights from GII (Global Influenza Initiative) experts .

The Sanofi Webcast of immunisation training for champions featured contributions from local and global medical experts.

Dedicated influenza experts in collaboration with the Viet Nam Geriatrics Association provided an opportunity for local medical experts to exchange insights on the impact of influenza on the elderly, including in Việt Nam, and the unmet needs for a higher standard of influenza vaccination for the elderly cohort.

Burak Pekmezci, head of Vaccines and Country Lead, Vietnam, said this series of activities demonstrates the company’s journey towards setting a new standard in influenza prevention in the future, offering advanced and tailored solutions for optimal protection against influenza and its complications for different groups, starting with the elderly cohort.

“Society’s efforts to prevent influenza must be built on the continually updated knowledge base of healthcare professionals,” he said.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there are approximately 3-5 million severe cases of influenza globally each year, with around 290,000-650,000 deaths due to serious complications from influenza.

According to several current data and statistical methods, among the elderly population in Việt Nam, there are approximately 4,000 hospitalisations due to seasonal flu each year, with about 1,400 deaths caused by the disease (Reference: Lancet Respir Med 2019; 7: 69-89).

Doctor Kuharaj Mahenthiran, Vietnam Medical Head, said this effort aims to protect the community from the burden of various influenza virus strains and reduce the risk of severe complications resulting from influenza infections such as pneumonia, heart attack, and stroke.

“Sanofi’s commitment is to improve the quality of clinical trial design and set higher standards for medical evidence,” he said.

Influenza can lead to serious complications, particularly for the elderly and individuals with chronic underlying conditions.

Therefore, proactively preventing influenza with vaccinations is essential to protecting against the infection and its complications, representing a crucial effort in safeguarding public health. — VNS