JAKARTA - The World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that the next generation of influenza vaccines can provide broader and longer-lasting protection. The vaccine even has the potential to save millions of lives and reduce the global burden of flu.
As is known, every year about one billion people worldwide are infected with influenza. Through this number, 3 to 5 million cases become severe and cause 290 thousand to 650 thousand deaths due to respiratory complications.
The seasonal influenza vaccine currently available helps reduce the number of illnesses and deaths. However, coverage is still low, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
The WHO report, Full Value of Improved Influenza Vaccine Assessment (FVIVA), assesses the health, economic, and policy impacts of new generation vaccines. The study serves as a basis for investment decision-making, vaccine introduction strategies, and strengthening of seasonal influenza programs.
"The assessment clarifies the potential benefits that better influenza vaccines can offer in various environments," said WHO Project Technical Leader, Dr. Philipp Lambach, quoted from the WHO official website, on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
"This provides all parties working on future influenza vaccine investment, policy development, and research priorities with a set of common evidence to accelerate vaccine development," he added.
According to FVIVA, if this new generation vaccine is available and widely used between 2025-2030, it can prevent up to 18 billion cases of influenza. This can also save 6.2 million lives, especially among the elderly, children, and pregnant women.
Not only that, the use of the vaccine also has the potential to reduce the use of antibiotics and reduce antimicrobial resistance. The vaccine is estimated to prevent up to 1.3 billion daily doses of defined antibiotics, to support global efforts to reduce resistance.
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