This World Health Organization (WHO) report, titled Full Value of Improved Seasonal Influenza Vaccines Assessment, presents a comprehensive assessment of the health, economic, and societal value of developing and deploying improved seasonal influenza vaccines. The report synthesizes evidence from literature reviews, stakeholder consultations, and commissioned modelling analyses to examine the global burden of influenza, limitations of current seasonal vaccines, and the potential impact of next-generation vaccines with enhanced efficacy, broader strain coverage, and longer duration of protection. The assessment applies the WHO Full Value of Vaccine Assessment (FVVA) framework to inform vaccine development, policy guidance, financing, and implementation decisions across different country income settings.
Key insights
Seasonal influenza continues to impose a substantial global health and economic burden, with current vaccines providing variable and often limited effectiveness across seasons and populations.
Improved influenza vaccines with greater effectiveness and longer-lasting protection could significantly reduce infections, hospitalizations, and deaths across all WHO regions.
Economic analyses suggest that improved influenza vaccines could be cost-saving or cost-effective in many countries if priced appropriately, though affordability and delivery costs remain critical constraints in low-income settings.
Most seasonal influenza vaccine demand is currently concentrated in high- and upper-middle-income countries, while access and uptake remain limited in many low- and middle-income countries.
Programmatic, financial, and institutional barriers—such as limited fiscal space, weak surveillance, and fragmented delivery systems—continue to constrain influenza vaccine adoption and sustainability.
Improved influenza vaccination has the potential to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use and contribute to efforts to address antimicrobial resistance.
How can the findings be used?
The findings can inform national and global decision-making on influenza vaccine R&D investments, pricing and financing strategies, and policy development, particularly to support equitable access and sustainable introduction of improved influenza vaccines in low- and middle-income countries.
Thumbnail image credit: WHO
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