The Lebanese Pulmonary Society and the Lebanese Pediatric Society relaunched the Campaign “Flu is Not Just a Cold”

In its continuing efforts of raising awareness about seasonal influenza and promoting its prevention, the Lebanese Pulmonary Society in Lebanon has relaunched the campaign “Flu is Not Just a Cold” for the second consecutive year, following last year’s success, in collaboration with the Lebanese Pediatric Society and in partnership with Abbott, a leading healthcare company worldwide. The campaign was reintroduced during a press conference attended by specialists from both societies, representatives from the company, as well as journalists and social media influencers.

The aim of this year’s campaign is to highlight the importance of vaccination as an effective tool to reduce the potential complications of the virus, particularly among high-risk groups, which include children under five years old, elderly over 65, healthcare workers, pregnant women, and individuals with chronic diseases such as asthma, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. The campaign will feature an awareness video to be shared on the societies’ social media platforms and influencers’ pages, along with informative posts to increase awareness and emphasize the seriousness of seasonal influenza and the importance of vaccination as a preventive measure.

On this occasion, Professor Pierre Bou Khalil, President of the Lebanese Pulmonary Society, stated: “The public does not take influenza seriously and often considers it just a common cold that can be quickly recovered from. This perception primarily stems from a lack of awareness about the virus and its complications.” He added, “People do not realize that influenza is a highly contagious respiratory illness with potential complications for high-risk groups, which can often lead to hospitalization and even death.” Professor Bou Khalil continued, “The virus does not differentiate, affecting people regardless of their age. This is why the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends vaccination for all age groups as the safest and most effective preventive measure. Studies have shown that high-risk groups who protected themselves with the vaccine had shorter hospital stays and lower rates of admission to intensive care.” He concluded, “Do not hesitate to get vaccinated to protect yourselves and your families; the complications of influenza can be severe. Consult healthcare specialists for all the necessary information about the flu vaccine and its benefits.”

Dr. Mona Alameh, President of the Lebanese Pediatric Society, added: “We are pleased to collaborate with the Lebanese Pulmonary Society in Lebanon this year to jointly raise awareness about seasonal influenza by relaunching this campaign, which received widespread recognition and positive response from the Lebanese community last year.” She continued, “Our role as specialists is crucial in increasing vaccination rates by encouraging parents to vaccinate their children, just as they do with other vaccines that protect them. We aim to build complete trust in the vaccine’s effectiveness and safety while urging parents not to be fearful or hesitate.”

Dr. Marianne Majdalani, former president of the Lebanese Pediatric Society and head of division of Pediatric critical Care at the American University of Beirut Medical Center, continued by saying: “The complications and repercussions of this virus, such as increased absenteeism from work and school and potential hospitalizations, should not be underestimated.” She further explained, “A 2021 study indicated that only 29.4% of parents vaccinated their children aged between 3 and 18 years, with a third of them residing in Beirut, which is relatively low. Hence, it is crucial to unite efforts to spread awareness across all segments of society and regions.” She concluded, “Children are at a six-fold higher risk of contracting the virus compared to adults and can transmit the infection to all family members, especially the elderly. Therefore, vaccination remains the optimal solution alongside other preventive measures, and it only takes a few minutes without any side effects.”

Dr. Céline Baaklini, Vice President of the Lebanese Pulmonary Society, noted: “Every season, we witness an increase in the number of people infected with the influenza virus, especially among high-risk groups and the elderly, due to potential complications, most notably pneumonia, which often necessitates longer hospital stays and intensive care, burdening patients with significant medical costs and placing an economic burden on the healthcare sector.”

She emphasized, “Our role as specialists is to raise awareness to strengthen community immunity, limit the spread of the virus, and reduce the number of patients requiring hospital treatment by increasing awareness and vaccination rates.” Dr. Baaklini added, “Vaccination reduces hospital admissions due to influenza by 57% among children, 79% among diabetic patients, and 40% among pregnant women.” She concluded: “The WHO recommends annual vaccination to increase protection against the most prevalent influenza strains of the season.”