Influenza vaccines have been used for >60 years and have proven safe and effective. However, use of seasonal influenza vaccine in South-East Asia is sparse, with the majority of doses available for cost in the private sector. In 2012, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) recommended annual influenza vaccination for five high-risk groups: pregnant women, the elderly, persons with a chronic illness, young children, and healthcare personnel.

The successful deployment of pandemic vaccine in 2009 led the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) Ministry of Health to enter into a public–private partnership with Walgreens Company, facilitated by WHO and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to distribute 375 000 donated doses of 2011–2012 Northern Hemisphere formulation of the trivalent inactivated seasonal influenza vaccine Fluvirin

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