By Bhanvi Satija

LONDON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Sanofi on Friday

reported third-quarter profit that beat forecasts, boosted by

demand for blockbuster asthma drug Dupixent, but the French

company flagged lower vaccination rates partly due to a

"negative buzz" around vaccines.

Sanofi's sales of its flu and COVID vaccines dropped 16.8%,

hit by pricing pressure in Germany and lower vaccination rates

in the early U.S. season. Rates declined globally, in part due

to a post-COVID fatigue.

"There might be a little bit of negative feeling about

vaccines overall," Sanofi's chief financial officer

François-Xavier Roger said on a media call after the results. "A

little bit of negative buzz around vaccines."

In the U.S., health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has

taken aim at vaccines, cutting funding for research and has

ousted the head of the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, which makes vaccine recommendations.

Sanofi's Roger said vaccines are essential to prevent

disease and as it was the beginning of flu season in the

Northern Hemisphere it was difficult to predict future sales

growth.

The company's overall sales in the U.S. were up 11.1% at

6.84 billion euros, as other medicines offset vaccine weakness.

Total global vaccines sales in the quarter were 3.36 billion

euros ($3.92 billion), in line with analyst expectations.

BLOCKBUSTER ASTHMA DRUG DUPIXENT BEATS FORECASTS

Quarterly sales of Sanofi's blockbuster anti-inflammatory

drug Dupixent, which Sanofi makes with partner Regeneron

, were 4.16 billion euros, compared with 4 billion euros

expected on average by analysts.

Business operating income in the quarter was 4.45 billion

euros ($5.19 billion), compared to 4.15 billion euros expected

on average by analysts in a company-provided poll.

Sanofi is ramping up research spending and acquisitions to

prepare for its growth beyond Dupixent, though investor hopes

for the drug remain high given its use in new conditions.

Sanofi confirmed its forecast for sales growth of

high-single-digits and earnings growth of low-double-digits this

year at constant currency rates.

($1 = 0.8575 euros)