August is observed as National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) in the US to highlight the importance of vaccines in preventing serious illness, complications, and death from infectious diseases. The intention is to educate individuals on the importance of staying up-to-date with routine vaccinations*. During the 2022-2023 influenza season, vaccination was responsible for averting 36.25% of diagnosed incident cases of seasonal influenza in the US, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

NIAM comes at an opportune time, as the roll-out of annual influenza vaccinations will begin in the coming weeks. Everyone aged 6 months and older is eligible to receive a seasonal influenza vaccine in the US, and doing so is recommended to prevent complications, hospitalizations, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, and death from the virus.

Stephanie Kurdach, Infectious Disease Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Although NIAM is an annual observance in the US, the message is important for people around the world. Many people who are eligible to receive the seasonal influenza vaccine fail to do so, and they run the risk of developing serious complications.”

Vaccination rates are relatively low all across the 7MM**. According to GlobalData epidemiologists, in the 2022-2023 influenza season, 37% of adults 18-64 years of age were vaccinated against seasonal influenza in the US, compared to 24% in the UK and 11% in Germany.

Kurdach continues: “Increasing vaccine uptake will require a joint effort from governments, industry leaders, and physicians to increase the awareness and benefits of annual immunization – NIAM is exactly this type of campaign.”

In observance of NIAM, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is encouraging the use of its free resources available for healthcare professionals, parents, and patients. Healthcare professionals can participate in immunization education and training courses, prepare immunization schedules for parents and patients, and utilize mobile applications to help make vaccine recommendations.

There are also a number of innovative vaccines in development that, if approved, could help boost vaccination rates over time. In particular, combination vaccines have the potential to improve vaccine uptake, predominantly due to the decreased number of injections needed to induce sufficient immunity against multiple respiratory illnesses. For example, Novavax’s COVID-influenza combination vaccine is currently in Phase II clinical trials. Topline results from the Phase II study indicate that the vaccine candidate is safe, well tolerated, and exhibits a strong immune response.

Kurdach concludes: “The release of new vaccines may positively impact public sentiment regarding the benefits of immunization. This can act as a catalyst for the public to actively seek routine vaccinations, which would contribute to NIAM’s objective in the US, as well as immunization awareness around the world.”

* NIAM is supported by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC), and the American Association of Immunologists (AAI), along with other healthcare and government agencies.

** US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan