Influenza (flu) that infects 30 to 50 lakh people every year and causes death to around 2.5 to 3 lakh people every year globally can be prevented easily, said experts at a seminaryesterday.

GlaxoSmithKline Bangladesh Limited organised the seminar on ’Flu Vaccination: Bangladesh Viewpoint' at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city.

The experts said every year a significant number of people in Bangladesh get infected with flu, though the mortality is still low.

Human flu is extremely contagious and it passes from person to person when an infected individual coughs or sneezes and the virus come in contact with other person.

However, it can be prevented by proper hand washing practice, maintaining respiratory hygiene and taking vaccine against flu.

The vaccine has been proved effective and two doses of the vaccine can work for the whole year, they said adding that in Bangladesh the peak season of flu is May to September.

Dr A J Chitkara of Max Hospital, India, Dr Sabine Arnoux, medical director of GSK Biologicals, Belgium, and Dr K Zaman, senior scientist of ICDDR.B presented papers on flu vaccination from the Bangladesh and global perspective.

Prof AKM Shamsul Huq, former director of the National Institute of Diseases of Chest and Hospital, Prof Mahmudur Rahman, director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research, Prof Syed Atiqul Huq of BSMMU, Prof SAR Chowdhury and M Azizul Huq of GSK Bangladesh, among others, also addressed the seminar.