Londile Moyo
NEXT-generation influenza vaccines that offer broader and longer-lasting protection than current seasonal jabs could significantly reduce the global burden of the disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.
In a recent assessment titled the Full Value of Improved Influenza Vaccine Assessment (FVIVA), published in the journal Vaccine, WHO evaluated the potential health, economic and policy impact of improved influenza vaccines while identifying possible barriers to their global uptake.
The assessment is expected to guide investment and policy decisions, while strengthening seasonal influenza programmes and enhancing pandemic preparedness.
According to WHO, seasonal influenza results in about one billion cases annually worldwide. Of these, between three and five million cases develop into severe illness, with an estimated 290 000 to 650 000 deaths recorded each year due to respiratory complications.
Although existing influenza vaccines help reduce disease burden, their effectiveness varies depending on the season, vaccine product and population group. Protection is limited to a single flu season.
Twice a year, WHO convenes experts from its Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System to recommend the composition of influenza vaccine strains.
It was stated that while 143 countries have reported availability of seasonal influenza vaccines, the majority of doses are used in upper-middle and high-income countries.
The FVIVA projects that if improved or universal influenza vaccines are developed and widely deployed between 2025 and 2050, they could prevent up to 18 billion cases of influenza and avert as many as 6,2 million deaths globally.
The greatest benefits would be among high-risk groups such as older persons, young children and pregnant women.
WHO technical lead for the project, Dr Philipp Lambach, said the findings highlight the far-reaching benefits of investing in improved influenza vaccines.
“This assessment makes clear the potential benefits that improved influenza vaccines could offer across different settings. It provides all those working on future influenza vaccine investments, policy development and research priorities a common set of evidence to catalyse vaccine development,” he said.
The study further indicates that in many countries, next-generation influenza vaccines could remain cost-effective or even cost-saving. Increased vaccine uptake is also expected to reduce antimicrobial use and help curb antimicrobial resistance.
Current influenza vaccination programmes are estimated to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use by about 10 million doses annually. WHO projects that next-generation vaccines could avert up to 1, 3 billion defined daily doses of antibiotics between 2025 and 2050.
However, the impact of improved vaccines will depend on national contexts, including disease burden, health system capacity, pricing and programme considerations. Factors such as safety, efficacy, duration of protection, temperature stability and shelf life are also expected to influence adoption, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
The FVIVA aligns with WHO’s Global Influenza Strategy 2019–2030 and its preferred product characteristics for next-generation influenza vaccines, which were updated in December 2025. The updated guidance calls for vaccines that provide broader and longer-lasting protection beyond a single season, offer stronger defence against severe disease and are suitable for use in low- and middle-income countries.
WHO also emphasised the need for technologies that can be transferred to manufacturers in developing countries to support local production.
As of February 2026, 46 next-generation influenza vaccines are reportedly in clinical development using various technology platforms, according to the Influenza Vaccines Research and Development Roadmap.
Online Reporter