The United Arab Emirates has expanded its seasonal influenza vaccination campaign for the 2026–27 season, adding school students and people travelling for Hajj and Umrah to the groups specifically prioritised for vaccination.
The updated measures were announced on September 15, 2026, when the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) launched its annual Awareness Campaign on Influenza and Seasonal Respiratory Diseases. The campaign will run until March 2027 and focuses on vaccination, prevention and reducing the spread of seasonal respiratory infections.
Under the expanded campaign, priority groups for seasonal influenza vaccination include pregnant women, children aged six months and above, school students, older adults, people with chronic illnesses, healthcare workers, and travellers performing Hajj and Umrah.
The inclusion of school students represents an expansion of the groups specifically highlighted by health authorities. Officials have pointed to schools as settings where influenza can spread because students spend extended periods together in classrooms and other shared spaces. The campaign is intended to help protect students and their families and reduce the spread of influenza within the community.
However, vaccination for school students remains a recommendation rather than a blanket mandatory requirement for attending school. The vaccine is available to people aged six months and above, including those who do not fall within the specifically prioritised categories.
The UAE had already incorporated seasonal influenza vaccination into its National Immunization Programme earlier in 2026. The programme includes children aged six months and above, students in public and private schools, pregnant women, people with chronic diseases and travellers performing Hajj and Umrah among its listed groups.
For Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, the situation is different from the general recommendation for school students. The seasonal influenza vaccine has been a mandatory requirement for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims travelling from the UAE since March 26, 2024. UAE health guidance has also listed seasonal influenza vaccination among the mandatory vaccinations for Hajj pilgrims.
Health authorities have made the influenza vaccine available through healthcare facilities across the country. Emirates Health Services said vaccines are available at all 121 of its healthcare facilities, while vaccination and awareness activities are also being conducted in schools, malls and other community locations. The vaccine is provided free of charge to citizens and residents who fall within designated high-risk groups, while people outside those categories can also receive it for a charge that varies by healthcare provider.
The UAE’s 2026–27 campaign has also expanded beyond influenza to include other seasonal respiratory diseases, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Health authorities are recommending RSV vaccination for pregnant women and older adults. The priority age for RSV vaccination among older adults has been identified as 75 and above.
The seasonal influenza campaign coincides with the period when respiratory illnesses generally become more common in the UAE. Health officials have identified September through March as the period when seasonal respiratory illnesses tend to increase. The influenza vaccine is therefore being promoted ahead of the main seasonal period.
MoHAP has also advised residents to follow preventive measures such as regular handwashing, covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, maintaining good respiratory hygiene, cleaning frequently touched surfaces and staying home when unwell. Health officials have said that the body takes approximately two weeks after influenza vaccination to develop an adequate immune response.
The UAE’s expanded campaign therefore places greater emphasis on vaccination across different age groups and situations, while maintaining specific requirements for pilgrims travelling for Hajj and Umrah. The national campaign will continue through March 2027 as health authorities prepare for the 2026–27 seasonal respiratory illness period.
