GULF NEWS: Dubai: Health authorities in the UAE have widened the list of groups who need this year's flu shot, adding school students and pilgrims travelling for Hajj and Umrah to the priority list for the first time.

The update was announced at the launch of the country's annual awareness campaign on Tuesday, titled the Awareness Campaign on Influenza and Seasonal Respiratory Diseases for the 2026–2027 season

Who needs it
Officials said vaccination is especially necessary for groups at risk of severe influenza complications, as well as for people who live with or care for someone who falls into a risk category.

The full list of target groups for seasonal influenza vaccination this year is:

1- Pregnant women
2- Children aged six months and above
3- School students
4- Elderly people
5- Those with chronic illnesses
6- Healthcare workers
7- Travellers performing Hajj and Umrah during Ramadan

What has changed
Previously, the ministry's guidance centred on a narrower set of groups. The vaccine was recommended for everyone aged six months and older, but was flagged as especially important for healthcare workers, pregnant women, children under the age of five, elderly individuals and people with chronic medical conditions.

This year, that list has grown. School students and those heading to Saudi Arabia for Hajj and Umrah have now been added, reflecting the added exposure these groups face while travelling in large crowds or spending long hours in shared indoor spaces such as classrooms.

Why it matters

Widening the net to include students is attributed to how quickly seasonal flu spreads in schools, while pilgrims travelling amid the dense crowds of Hajj and Umrah face similar risk of exposure to respiratory illnesses from people arriving from across the world.

By flagging these groups specifically, health authorities hope to reduce transmission not just among vaccinated individuals, but also among the people they live with, teach, or travel alongside.

The seasonal flu vaccine remains open to anyone aged six months and above who wants protection, even if they don't fall into one of the seven listed groups.

Saudi health authorities mandate that pilgrims get the seasonal flu vaccine before travelling.

Vaccinating school students against influenza still remains a recommendation.

However, officials are clearly hoping the expanded list will nudge more people, particularly parents of school-going children and pilgrims, to get vaccinated ahead of the 2026–2027 season.

Protecting families, avoiding absenteeism
"We want to protect students and their families by including school students in the vaccination campaign," Dr Laila Al Jasmi, Head of Communicable Disease and Immunization Section at MoHAP told Gulf News.

It is also expected to help keep classroom absenteeism down during peak flu season, she added.

Dr Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for the Public Health Sector, told Gulf News that the nasal spray vaccine that was rolled out last year is considered particularly helpful for young students.

“We rolled out the nasal spray flu vaccine last year. It is ideal for children and those with needle anxiety,” he said.

Annual campaign
MoHAP's annual flu vaccine awareness campaign is held in collaboration with Emirates Health Services, Sharjah Health Authority, Dubai Health, Dubai Health Authority, Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre and Department of Health – Abu Dhabi. The campaign encouraging flu vaccination for priority groups will run till March 31, 2027.

Health authorities have distributed this year's flu vaccine to healthcare facilities and are carrying out awareness initiatives in schools, malls and other community locations.

Dr Nada Al Marzouqi, Director of the Public Health and Prevention Department at MoHAP, stressed that timely immunisation is a key pillar of prevention, noting that the body requires approximately two weeks after receiving the influenza vaccine to develop an adequate immune response.

This makes early vaccination, ahead of the seasonal peak, particularly important, alongside consistent daily health practices that help curb the spread of infection.

According to the World Health Organisation, there are around a billion cases of seasonal influenza annually, including 3–5 million cases of severe illness. It causes 290 000 to 650 000 respiratory deaths annually. Developing countries account for 99 per cent of deaths in children under five years of age with influenza-related lower respiratory tract infections. Symptoms typically begin one to four days after infection and usually last around a week.

While health officials say vaccination is the most effective way to prevent disease and its complications, they are encouraging regular hand washing and sanitising, good respiratory hygiene by applying cough and sneezing etiquette and cleaning and sterilising frequently used surfaces and tools as preventive measures.

Those feeling unwell and with symptoms should self-isolate early on to prevent infecting others, health officials added.