DaVita Malaysia's Influenza Immunization Program 2024-2025: Keeping You Safe Through The Holidays

As the holiday season approaches, so does the increased risk of influenza transmission. With family gatherings, year-end travel, and festive celebrations, flu prevention becomes even more critical to safeguard health and wellbeing. DaVita Malaysia recognizes this need and is committed to ensuring a healthier season for all by helping prevent the spread of influenza through proactive initiatives.

DaVita’s Influenza Immunization Program 2024-2025 is part of DaVita's holistic approach to patient care, aiming to protect both patients and staff against the flu. This program reflects DaVita’s dedication to comprehensive health and safety for all, especially during peak influenza seasons.

Why Influenza Prevention Matters

Each year, influenza affects approximately 5-15% of the population (MSIDC, 2020). This impact is felt year-round, but the flu season tends to peak in May to July and November to January, aligning with times of increased gatherings and travel (Sam et al., 2010).

For dialysis patients, flu complications can be severe due to their weakened immune systems, making flu prevention essential for their wellbeing (National Kidney Foundation, 2020). DaVita Malaysia is stepping up with proactive health measures through the Influenza Immunization Program, aiming to reduce risks for vulnerable groups and create a safer environment within their clinics.

Program Highlights

• Subsidized Cost for Dialysis Patients: To make this vaccine accessible, DaVita is offering a significantly reduced rate of RM30 per dose for dialysis patients, lowered from the previous RM40 dose in the 2023-2024 program. Teammates (DaVita employees) also receive subsidized vaccinations.
• Northern Strain Vaccine: Utilizing the WHO-recommended vaccine, it is certainly effective in reducing flu risk in our region. Among hemodialysis patients with diabetes, a 2019 study found that the incidence of influenza was only 6.3% in those who were vaccinated, demonstrating the vaccine's effectiveness in reducing infection rates (Cohen-Hagai et al., 2019).

The vaccine will be administered between Q4 2024 and Q2 2025, aligning with key Malaysian holidays—Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, and end-of-year school holidays. This ensures flu protection throughout the most active and celebrated times of the year.

Benefits of the Influenza Immunization Program

DaVita’s Influenza Immunization Program is not only a step towards individual protection but also a measure to enhance overall clinic safety. By ensuring that both patients and staff are protected:

• Enhanced Patient Health: Dialysis patients, who face a higher risk of severe flu symptoms, gain critical protection (Cohen-Hagai et al., 2019). With the vaccine, these individuals have reduced chances of complications (Sam et al.,2023), enabling them to enjoy the holiday season more confidently.
• Safe and Supportive Environment: A healthy clinic environment benefits everyone. With fewer flu cases, DaVita can continue providing essential dialysis treatments without interruption, ensuring that both patients and Teammates feel safe.

Conclusion

In a season marked by togetherness and celebration, staying protected against the flu is vital. DaVita Malaysia’s Influenza Immunization Program offers a convenient and effective way to reduce flu risks and foster healthier, flu-free holidays for everyone involved. Patients and Teammates alike are encouraged to take part in DaVita’s 2024-2025 Influenza Immunization Program to enjoy a healthier, more protected holiday season.

To learn more or sign up for the program, feel free to reach out to the nursing staff at your local DaVita centre or call us at 1-800-18-078. Take advantage of this program and stay protected through every celebration!

References:

1. Guidelines for Adult Immunisation. (2020, September). Malaysian Society of Infectious Diseases & Chemotherapy. https://adultimmunisation.msidc.my/influenza/
2. Sam, I., Abdul-Murad, A., Karunakaran, R., Rampal, S., Chan, Y., Nathan, A. M., & Ariffin, H. (2010). Clinical features of Malaysian children hospitalized with community-acquired seasonal influenza. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 14, e36–e40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2009.10.005
3. Cohen-Hagai, K., Kotliroff A., Rozenberg, I., Korzets, Z., Zitman-Gal, T., & Benchetrit, S. (2019). Effectiveness of influenza vaccine in hemodialysis patients: A retrospective study. Ther Apher Dial, 23 (1), 38-43. https://doi.org/10.1111/1744-9987.12742
4. Sam, R., Rankin, L., Ulasi, I., Frantzen, L., Nitsch, D., Henner, D., Molony, D., Wagner, J., Chen, J., Agarwal, S. K., Howard, A., Atkinson, R., Landry, D., Pastan, S. O., & Kalantar-Zadeh, K. (2023). Vaccination for patients receiving dialysis. Kidney Medicine, 6(3), 100775. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xkme.2023.100775