India Aligns with Global Influenza Vaccination Shift, Experts Stress Preventive Action
WHO’s updated flu vaccine recommendation highlights urgent need to improve coverage in India
Bengaluru, August 23, 2025: Zydus Lifesciences Limited (including its subsidiaries and affiliates, hereafter referred to as “Zydus”), a global innovation-led lifesciences company, hosted a health symposium in Bengaluru to discuss India’s alignment with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) revised influenza vaccination guidelines for the Northern Hemisphere 2025–26 season.
Globally, influenza continues to be a serious public health challenge, claiming an estimated 400,000 respiratory and 300,000 additional lives annually. While nearly half of the population in the US and Europe is vaccinated against seasonal flu each year, India lags far behind, with coverage at less than 1.5%.
Dr. Sharvil Patel, Managing Director, Zydus Lifesciences, said:
“Prevention is the foundation of good health, and vaccines are central to protecting people and reducing the strain on healthcare systems. Influenza remains a recurring health concern, triggering seasonal outbreaks and complications among vulnerable groups. Timely vaccination is key to reducing infections, preventing severe disease, and safeguarding public health. At Zydus, we remain committed to advancing preventive healthcare and raising awareness on influenza vaccination.”
According to WHO’s latest recommendation, the B/Yamagata strain has not been detected globally since March 2020, making its inclusion in quadrivalent influenza vaccines unnecessary. The US CDC has already removed B/Yamagata from all influenza vaccines starting 2024–25, a move backed by global surveillance data to improve vaccine efficacy and production.
India’s National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has also advised adopting the updated WHO-recommended strains to reduce the burden of influenza and influenza-like illnesses, which significantly affect infants, the elderly, and those with chronic health conditions.
India faces influenza outbreaks year-round, with two major peaks during the monsoon and winter. Each year, the disease is estimated to cause around 127,000 deaths, of which 65% occur among people over 65 years, and 15–20% among children under five. Experts highlight the urgent need for annual vaccination of high-risk groups to lower mortality and disease severity.
As one of India’s leading flu vaccine manufacturers, Zydus has consistently promoted preventive healthcare and timely vaccination to protect vulnerable populations from influenza and related complications.
For more information, visit http://www.zyduslife.com
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