Influenza causes seasonal epidemics that sicken millions each year and occasional pandemics when new strains emerge. Current treatment includes annual vaccines and antiviral drugs like oseltamivir that shorten illness if started early. Most healthy people recover in a week, but flu can be serious for older adults, young children, and people with chronic conditions.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing universal flu vaccines that could protect against multiple strains for years, next-generation antivirals that work against resistant viruses, monoclonal antibodies for high-risk people, and improved vaccines for older adults whose immune systems respond less strongly. Researchers are also studying how to predict which strains will circulate and how to speed vaccine production.
Universal flu vaccines
Several vaccines in trials aim to protect against many flu strains at once by targeting parts of the virus that change less over time. If successful, they could replace the need for annual flu shots.
Long-acting antivirals
New antivirals target different parts of the virus than current drugs and may work as single doses rather than five-day courses. Some are being tested for treatment and prevention.
Pandemic preparedness
Trials are testing vaccines and treatments for flu strains circulating in animals that could jump to humans. The goal is to have tools ready before the next pandemic starts.
What to know before you search
Eligibility often depends on age, underlying health conditions, timing of symptoms, flu vaccination status, and exposure to confirmed cases.
What types of trials are currently open
- Vaccine trials — Testing new flu vaccines, including universal vaccines and improved formulations for older adults or people with weakened immune systems.
- Antiviral treatment trials — Testing new antiviral drugs to see if they shorten illness, prevent complications, or work against resistant flu strains.
- Prevention trials — Testing whether drugs or antibodies can prevent flu in people exposed to the virus or at high risk during outbreaks.
- Pandemic vaccine trials — Testing vaccines against flu strains like H5N1 and H7N9 that could cause future pandemics.
- Epidemiology studies — Following communities during flu season to learn how the virus spreads, who gets sickest, and how well vaccines and treatments work in real-world conditions.
Recently added Influenza trials
CEDRN Pandemic Preparedness Registry
This study aims to help Canada be better prepared for future pandemics by improving how hospitals collect and use information about patients with respiratory infections, such as influenza, COVID-19, and RSV. Emergency departments are often the first place where new viruses appear, and they care for people from all walks of life. By collecting the same types of information from many hospitals across the country, we can better understand how these illnesses affect people and how to respond more quickly in future emergencies. The study will build a national database that follows patients from the time they arrive by ambulance or walk into the emergency department through their hospital stay. Researchers will look at symptoms, treatments, test results, recovery, and how well vaccines and medications work in real-world settings. We believe that people who come to emergency departments with respiratory infections will show important differences in how sick they become, what treatments they receive, and how they recover, depending on factors like age, health conditions, and where they live. We also think this information can help create accurate tools that predict who can safely go home from the emergency department and who is at higher risk of severe illness or death.
A Study to Evaluate the Safety of Subunit Influenza Vaccine in People Aged 6 Months and Older
This is a post-marketing, prospective observational study to evaluate the safety of a subunit influenza vaccine and the factors influencing influenza vaccination in individuals aged 6 months and older. A total of 7,000 vaccinated participants will be divided into Subgroup A (1,000 participants, active surveillance) and Subgroup B (6,000 participants, passive surveillance), and monitored for adverse events and serious adverse events within 28 days after vaccination. Participants in Subgroup A will additionally complete an electronic questionnaire on their knowledge of influenza and factors influencing their vaccination decisions.
Find Influenza trials matched specifically to you
Answer 3 quick questions and we'll show you trials that fit your situation.