Globally, influenza remains widely underestimated and is often mistaken for the common cold. While the common cold is typically self-limiting, seasonal influenza is a major cause of mortality worldwide and places a significant burden on healthcare systems. Each year, an estimated 1 billion people contract seasonal influenza, resulting in up to 5 million severe cases and approximately 650,000 influenza-associated respiratory deaths worldwide.

Experts also note that Southeast Asia is regarded as an important reservoir for the emergence and global spread of new influenza virus strains, playing a critical role in global influenza biosecurity. The region’s high population density, geographical reach across both hemispheres, and diverse climatic conditions make it a potential hotspot for outbreaks.

Although influenza can affect people of all ages, the World Health Organization (WHO) identifies older adults as one of the groups at highest risk of severe complications and death. According to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults aged 65 and older account for up to 70% of influenza-related hospitalizations and up to 85% of influenza-related deaths.

Beyond causing primary respiratory illness, influenza can trigger a cascade of acute events affecting multiple organ systems. Studies have associated influenza infection with a 10-fold increase in the risk of acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), a 24% rise in heart failure hospitalizations, an eight-fold increase in stroke risk, a 74% increase in abnormal glycemic events, and loss of functional independence in 23% of hospitalized patients.

Viet Nam is among the countries experiencing one of the fastest rates of population ageing in the world. Notably, stroke, coronary heart disease, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes are the four leading causes of death in the country.²¹ These underlying conditions can turn an ordinary bout of influenza into a serious health crisis requiring hospitalization, while up to 85% of seasonal influenza-related deaths occur among people aged 65 and older.

In Viet Nam, more than 34,500 people aged 65 and above are hospitalized each year due to influenza-associated acute respiratory infections.

Against this backdrop of global and regional health challenges, leading Vietnamese and international experts have reached a consensus on establishing routine influenza vaccination as a standard of care for older adults. The recommendation was announced at scientific symposia organized by the Viet Nam Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics in Ha Noi, with sponsorship from Sanofi - Aventis Viet Nam.

The initiative seeks to strengthen multidisciplinary collaboration among specialists in geriatrics, cardiology, pulmonology, and endocrinology, with the goal of improving protection standards and expanding access to advanced influenza vaccines for high-risk populations.

Despite the substantial risks of hospitalization and death, influenza vaccination coverage among older adults remains alarmingly low, leaving this vulnerable group exposed to preventable health threats.

At the symposia, Associate Professor Vu Thi Thanh Huyen, General Secretary of the Viet Nam Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics, said: “Viet Nam has one of the lowest influenza vaccination rates in the region. There are currently no official data from health authorities or published studies on vaccination coverage. However, based on the number of influenza vaccine doses sold in 2023, influenza vaccination coverage among older adults is estimated at around 5%.”

Emphasizing the need to improve vaccination coverage and strengthen protection for older adults, Dr. Litjen Tan, Chief Policy and Partnerships Officer at Immunize.org and a leading US expert in public health policy and vaccine-preventable diseases, said:

“Influenza vaccines currently available on the market have demonstrated significant benefits for high-risk individuals. Studies have shown their effectiveness in reducing the risk of heart attacks and major cardiovascular events among patients with heart disease, reducing all-cause mortality among older adults with diabetes, and lowering the risk of laboratory-confirmed influenza-related hospitalizations among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).''

Dr. Litjen Tan noted that immunosenescence, the gradual decline of the immune system associated with ageing, could weaken older adults’ immune response to conventional influenza vaccines. He added that enhanced influenza vaccines are now available and may offer better protection against influenza and its complications for this population.

He also urged healthcare professionals in Viet Nam to proactively recommend and administer influenza vaccines during the same healthcare visit in order to translate clinical benefits into real-world protection, stressing that while vaccines are essential tools, vaccination is what ultimately saves lives.

Experts said that by encouraging healthcare providers to proactively recommend and administer influenza vaccines during routine consultations, Viet Nam can narrow its protection gap, prevent serious complications, and help older adults maintain healthier, more independent lives.