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In 2025, Bangladesh recorded its highest seasonal influenza peak in July, with 59 per cent of patients going to hospitals with high fever and cough being infected, according to surveillance conducted in 19 hospitals.
Influenza is a major public health concern, causing up to five million severe cases and 650,000 deaths worldwide every year.
In Bangladesh, April to September has already been identified as the influenza season, and experts recommend vaccinating high-risk groups - including the elderly above 60, children under five, pregnant women, healthcare professionals, and people with chronic illnesses like diabetes, cardiac diseases, and respiratory diseases - by February-March every year for maximum protection.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) stresses annual influenza vaccination as the most effective preventive measure for these groups.
Yet, influenza vaccine coverage in Bangladesh remains extremely low due to limited awareness, policy gaps, and logistical challenges.
To address these gaps, the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) and icddr,b - with technical support from Communicable Disease Control under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the US - jointly organised a workshop titled "Advancing the Role of Influenza Vaccination among Priority Risk Groups in Bangladesh: Way Forward" on September 1 and 5.
The first day brought together expert clinicians from multiple clinical disciplines providing care to high-risk groups - including internal medicine, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, cardiology, respiratory medicine, and nephrology - to develop strategies for integrating influenza vaccination into the existing clinical practices to reduce the burden of influenza in Bangladesh.
At Friday's workshop, Prof Dr Tahmina Shirin, director of IEDCR, presented the findings from the national influenza surveillance, jointly conducted by IEDCR and icddr,b since 2007, which currently covers 19 hospitals in the country.
The surveillance helped dispel misconceptions by confirming that the influenza season in Bangladesh runs from April to September (summer to monsoon), with cases peaking in June-July.
Drawing on previous studies by icddr,b and IEDCR, Dr Shirin noted that timely influenza vaccination of high-risk populations could prevent many influenza-related hospitalisations and deaths.
She also highlighted findings, showing that vaccination is both cost-effective and cost-saving for these groups in Bangladesh.
Prof Shirin emphasised the importance of administering vaccines by February-March to ensure maximum protection during the peak season. Dr Fahmida Chowdhury, associate scientist at icddr,b, reflected on the engaging group activities of the first day.
Expert clinicians from diverse disciplines worked together to identify barriers to incorporating influenza vaccination into routine clinical care and to propose strategies and recommendations to address these challenges, with the ultimate goal of reducing influenza-related morbidity and mortality.
Each clinical group presented their discussion findings in front of different stakeholders, including, but not limited to, government health officials, vaccine and infectious disease experts, pharmaceutical companies, etc.
On behalf of their respective groups, Prof Dr Mirza Md Ziaul Islam (paediatrics), Dr AKM Monwarul Islam (cardiology), Dr Tasnuva Sarah Kashem (nephrology), Dr Sadia Sultana Reshma (respiratory medicine), Prof Dr Saria Tasnim (obstetrics and gynaecology), and Dr Md Shahabul Huda Chowdhury (internal medicine) presented key insights and reflections during the workshop.
Each group emphasised how influenza vaccination could benefit their clinical discipline while also pointing out common barriers that hinder uptake, including limited availability, high cost, fear of side effects, low awareness, cold chain challenges, and gaps in national and institutional guidelines.
Recommendations to overcome these barriers included generating local evidence, improving vaccine access and affordability, addressing hesitancy through awareness campaigns via mass and social media, seminars, advocacy, and the inclusion of influenza vaccination in national clinical guidelines.
Dr Md Zakiul Hassan, associate scientist at icddr,b, highlighted that healthcare providers are at four times higher risk of influenza, which can lead to infection among colleagues, family members, and patients, as well as workforce shortages during epidemics.
Despite this, vaccine uptake and awareness among healthcare workers remain very low, he said.
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