Lao PDR

The first country to receive PIVI support, Laos is a vaccination success story. Since PIVI was formally launched in 2012 with a donation of 350,000 influenza vaccines, Laos has done the important and critical work of creating a sustainable country-wide influenza program. 

Country-led research was key to setting up the evidence for  building a national  influenza program. Vaccine safety is one of the key factors that drives acceptance of vaccines and when influenza vaccine was introduced in 2012, Laos studied and published AEFI findings from its first influenza vaccination campaign. To drive vaccination in important target groups, Laos studied a cohort of about 5,000 pregnant women from 2014-2015  and found influenza vaccination was associated with a lower risk of preterm birth. Understanding these benefits of influenza vaccination has not only helped convince stakeholders to support influenza efforts but also has motivated patients to become vaccinated.

An abundance of locally generated data was useful for the new Lao NITAG to determine influenza vaccination policy. The NITAG in Laos was formed during its partnership with PIVI. Laos has now integrated flu immunization into their nationally funded vaccine program through the Ministry of Health.