The Ministry of Public Health (MPH) together with the National Health Security Office (NHSO), will offer free influenza vaccinations to seven high-risk groups at all medical facilities countrywide until August 31. The vaccines protect against three major strains, A (H1N1), A (H3N2) and B (Victoria lineage).
In a The Nation article, the government has procured vaccines based on the latest World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations to combat circulating seasonal flu. A total of 4.57 million doses are prepared and distributed across healthcare service units.
The 7 eligible high-risk groups pertain to pregnant women, especially those between 12-20 weeks of gestation, children aged 6 months to 2 years of age, people with chronic conditions including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, diabetes, cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, the elderly aged 65 and up, people with neurological conditions needing assistance, individuals with thalassemia or weakened immune systems, like individuals with HIV-AIDS and individuals with obesity (weighing more than 100 kg or a BMI of more than 35 kg/m2)