National expert consensus recommendations on influenza vaccination in Saudi Arabia (2025)

In Saudi Arabia, influenza is considered a primary public health concern. Preventative measures include vaccination, which is reported as suboptimal in terms of uptake by both children and adults. To address this, two multidisciplinary expert workshops brought together, 15 specialists from family medicine, infectious diseases, pediatrics, pulmonology, epidemiology, and public health to Riyadh on 26^th October 2024 and 28^th June 2025 with the aim of developing recommendations on influenza vaccination tailored to the Saudi context. During the two meetings, the experts shared insights and discussions, which were then consolidated into structured, consensus recommendations. To inform the consensus, a narrative literature review was performed. Fifteen comprehensive consensus statements across nine key domains were developed. The domains included disease monitoring and compliance mechanisms, strengthening surveillance and data integration, optimizing vaccination timing, enhancing vaccination coverage rates, enhancing public confidence and acceptance, improving healthcare worker engagement, improving disease severity awareness, decentralizing vaccination responsibilities, and integrating live-attenuated influenza vaccine into public health programs. Implementing these recommendations should help in improving disease prevention and public health in Saudi Arabia.