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Dubai: The UAE has expanded its annual flu campaign to cover seasonal respiratory diseases this year.
Under the new initiative, health authorities are asking two high-risk groups of residents, pregnant women and older adults, to get vaccinated against RSV, a virus that can trigger pneumonia and bronchiolitis.
The update was announced at the launch of the Ministry of Health and Prevention’s (MoHAP) national campaign on Tuesday, titled the Awareness Campaign on Influenza and Seasonal Respiratory Diseases for the 2026–2027 season.
It builds on an already widened flu drive that, for the first time, added school students and Hajj and Umrah pilgrims to the priority list for flu shots, alongside pregnant women, young children, the elderly, those with chronic illnesses and healthcare workers.
Beyond flu awareness
Dr Hussein Abdulrahman Al Rand said the new season marks an evolution in the campaign’s approach, expanding its focus beyond influenza awareness to promote a more comprehensive understanding of respiratory disease prevention.
He noted that the true value of awareness lies not in the volume of messages communicated, but in its ability to turn knowledge into informed health decisions and behaviours that protect individuals and those around them.
Dr Al Rand highlighted that expanding the campaign’s scope to include respiratory diseases provides a more comprehensive approach, bringing together immunisation, healthy behaviours, protection of vulnerable groups and access to accurate health information within a unified framework.
This approach, he said, supports the transformation of awareness into daily practice, in cooperation with health authorities and partners across the UAE.
What is RSV?
Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a common virus that infects the lungs and airways, including the nose, mouth and throat. It usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms, but in some cases, it can lead to more serious illness, particularly among infants and older adults.
Complications can include bronchiolitis, an inflammation of the small airways in the lungs; pneumonia; and severe lower respiratory tract disease, which can leave sufferers with low oxygen levels and shortness of breath. In people with existing chronic heart or lung conditions, RSV can also worsen those illnesses. It is, in fact, the leading cause of hospitalisation globally among infants under one year old, and a major cause of hospital admissions among older adults too.
Two groups targeted
The RSV push in the UAE now is aimed squarely at two categories of residents: older adults and pregnant women.
Officials say vaccination for these groups is necessary because it prevents severe lung disease and the hospital stays that often come with it.
Protection against RSV, health officials explained, comes through three routes: maternal vaccination during pregnancy, monoclonal antibodies for infants, and RSV vaccines for older adults.
The World Health Organisation recommends the maternal vaccine from week 28 of pregnancy, or monoclonal antibodies for infants not covered by maternal vaccination.
Protecting mothers, babies
Dr Laila Al Jasmi, head of the Communicable Disease and Immunisation Section at MoHAP, told Gulf News that these recommendations have already been built into the UAE’s National Immunisation Programme.
She confirmed that pregnant women are advised to take the RSV vaccine, which is registered and available in the UAE, ideally from 28 weeks of pregnancy.
“If the mother receives the vaccine, the antibodies pass on to the baby, offering the newborn protection through what are known as maternal antibodies. If she doesn’t get vaccinated, her child would instead need monoclonal antibodies — a protective medication, not a vaccine — given at birth,” Dr Al Jasmi explained.
This protection for infants already exists under the national immunisation programme, Dr Al Jasmi said. But it is now being folded into the wider seasonal campaign for the first time. “Now we will include it in our national influenza campaign,” she said.
Protection for elders
For older residents, the same RSV vaccine used for pregnant women is being recommended, with the ministry setting the priority age at 75 and above, according to Dr Al Jasmi.
Internationally, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends RSV vaccination for older adults, especially those aged 75 and above, as well as adults aged 50 to 74 who face a higher risk of severe illness from the virus.
Supporting global agenda
The campaign also ties into a bigger picture. It supports the World Health Organisation’s Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030), the global vision guiding vaccination efforts for 2021 to 2030, so that everyone everywhere, at every age, fully benefits from vaccines.
The IA2030’s life-course priority extends immunisation beyond childhood to adolescents, adults and older persons.
“This is reflected in this campaign’s focus on seasonal flu and RSV vaccination for all ages,” Dr Al Jasmi said,
Dr Aysha Al Basti, chair of Family Medicine at Dubai Health, said seasonal influenza and respiratory illnesses can affect anyone, but some members of the community are more vulnerable to complications. Vaccination, alongside simple preventive practices, she said, remains one of the most effective ways to protect ourselves and those around us.
