Influenza Vaccine Innovation Program Impact Report

The Sabin Vaccine Institute’s Influenza Vaccine Innovation (IVI) program drove impact and awareness of influenza’s devastating pandemic potential and catalyzed problem-solving conversations to counteract this threat. The 1918 Influenza Pandemic claimed the lives of approximately 50 million people worldwide in less than 2 years—5 times the number of soldiers killed in all of World War I. Still today, seasonal influenza bears a heavy burden on communities across the world, with the World Health Organization estimating that approximately 1 billion people are infected and about 700,000 die each year from influenza.

Recognizing the potential power and increasing scientific feasibility of a universal influenza vaccine (UIV)—as opposed to an annual seasonal vaccine—IVI initiated collaborative engagement beyond traditional vaccinology and immunology, attracting experts from scientific disciplines to accelerate innovation in influenza vaccine research and development. Responding to the simultaneous constraint and opportunity presented by the COVID-19 crisis, IVI drew on and expanded its transdisciplinary & multi-sectoral network to create content that invited all scientists, policy makers and the science-interested public to join these critical conversations.

IVI’s activities were guided by the concept of convergence: an approach to solving complex scientific and societal problems—such as those posed by influenza—by building novel, crossdisciplinary networks to spark scientific discovery and innovation. IVI was itself launched by such an effort with a landmark 2019 report on UIV development produced by the Sabin-Aspen Vaccine Policy Group featuring key recommendations to accelerate progress toward a UIV. Throughout 2019 and early 2020, IVI hosted, participated in, and planned convenings to ignite strategic conversations and build cross-sectoral collaboration to advance UIV development.

When COVID-19 struck in 2020, the IVI team swiftly turned their focus to distilling, communicating, and applying lessons learned to thwart the undiminished danger of influenza. Leveraging—and quickly expanding—established partnerships and knowledge base, IVI gathered and analyzed insights as the COVID-19 response evolved. From 2020 through 2023, the team conducted more than 40 in-depth interviews with key members of these historically separate, but now interconnected communities; organized and participated in moderated discussions; presented at scientific meetings; and monitored relevant scientific and policy developments.

Products of these efforts—which include a video documentary series, a full-length film, podcasts and publications—drew and retained an audience that included scientists, funders and policymakers from more than 77 countries over the course of the program. These assets continue to inform and inspire visitors to the Sabin website and those of partner organizations such as the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) and The Task Force for Global Health.

Through such partnerships with key aligned organizations—which also included the Global Funders Consortium for Universal Influenza Vaccine Development and Ready2Respond—IVI produced and amplified content and conducted research, such as identifying factors underlying successful influenza vaccination programs in middle-income countries. With the program’s culmination, evergreen resources developed by IVI remain accessible to its partners as they advance the quest against influenza. Thus, long after its conclusion, the IVI program will continue to demonstrate to a transdisciplinary and multi-sectoral audience the peril of influenza and the collaborative approach required to achieve the ultimate goal of a UIV.