Antigua Guatemala, June 18, 2025 (PAHO) - With the objective of strengthening vaccination policies and programs against seasonal and pandemic influenza in the Region of the Americas, the Regional Workshop for the Generation of Evidence to Support Health Policies for the Prevention and Control of Seasonal Influenza was held in Antigua Guatemala, June 16-18, 2025.
The activity was organized by the Special Program on Comprehensive Immunization (CIM) and the Infectious Hazards Management Unit (IHM) of the PAHO/WHO Department of Health Emergencies, as a follow-up to the commitments made at the technical meeting held in Washington D.C. in 2023. The workshop was attended by representatives from Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua both in person and virtually.
During the opening ceremony, the central panel was formed by Ms. Ericka Chávez, head of the Research Department of the Epidemiology Department of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance of Guatemala; Dr. Paula Couto, technical officer for influenza surveillance of PAHO's Department of Health Emergencies; and Dr. Francisco Nogareda, consultant of PAHO's Comprehensive Immunization Program.
Throughout the conference, the national teams estimated the health burden attributable to influenza and the impact of vaccination using tools endorsed by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They also discussed communication and knowledge translation strategies to support public health decision-making.
As a result of the workshop, each country will prepare a technical report with the main findings, which will serve as a basis for scientific publications and the implementation of more effective and evidence-based national immunization strategies.
