The World Health Organization (WHO) has outlined the benefits that improved influenza vaccines could offer, as the agency seeks to overcome a more hesitant vaccine development sector in the US.
According to recent analysis conducted by the WHO, improved or universal influenza vaccines could prevent up to 18 billion cases of influenza if used between 2025 and 2050. The Full Value of Improved Influenza Vaccine Assessment (FVIVA) also revealed that up to 6.2 million lives could be saved, particularly those at higher risk of contracting severe disease.
Current influenza vaccines are highly effective but only in certain seasons and population demographics. Twice a year, the WHO issues recommendations for the influenza vaccine strain composition. In the UK, for example, there are seven licensed flu vaccines available for the 2025 to 2026 season. Among this group are trivalent, quadrivalent, live-attenuated jabs licensed for different age groups.
A universal flu vaccine is a long-lasting vaccine designed to protect against most or all influenza strains, eliminating the need for an annual shot. However, there is currently no approved product.
Given the potential upside to public health, research is ongoing. As of February 2026, there are 46 next-generation influenza vaccines in clinical development using diverse technology platforms, according to the University of Minnesota’s Influenza Vaccines R&D Roadmap. This includes a broad-spectrum intranasal candidate dubbed BPL-1357, which is being developed by the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), with a Phase II trial (NCT07215858) soon to start enrolling patients.
There are other modalities gaining traction too. In November 2025, MSD spent $9.2bn to acquire Cidara Therapeutics, a biotech developing a non-vaccine alternative for flu prevention. Unlike traditional vaccines, Cidara’s small molecule does not rely on the immune system. Although it needs to be administered once a season, the long-lasting nature and chemical makeup of the drug means the manufacturing process does not need to change each year in response to a changing influenza virus.
WHO states that next generation influenza vaccines could continue to be cost-effective, or even cost-saving, and even help reduce reliance on antibiotics. Newer jabs could avert up to 1.3 billion daily doses of antibiotics between 2025 and 2050, according to the agency’s review.
“This assessment makes clear the potential benefits that improved influenza vaccines could offer across different settings,” said Dr Philipp Lambach, WHO technical lead of the project.
“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 added.
The report comes amid a US vaccine landscape that has undergone volatility in the past year. Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy (RFK) Jr has implemented policies to reduce reliance on vaccines for respiratory diseases. Earlier this week, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initially refused to review a new seasonal mRNA-based flu vaccine developed by Moderna. Though the agency U-turned and agreed to assess the jab, the indecision reflects a difficult vaccine development landscape in the country.
