# Evaluating influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and other respiratory virus vaccine effectiveness in prevention of acute illness in Washington state 2022-2027

> **NIH ALLCDC U01** · KAISER FOUNDATION HEALTH PLAN OF WASHINGTON · 2022 · $2,000,000

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
As one of the current US Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness (US Flu VE) Network sites, we propose continuing
our studies of vaccine effectiveness (VE) for seasonal influenza, COVID-19, and other respiratory viruses to
prevent acute respiratory illness (ARI) in Washington state from 2022 to 2027 (Component A). Since March
2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in >80 million infections and ~1 million US deaths. Until the
pandemic, the dominant respiratory virus impacting public health seasonally was influenza. In the US, up to 5%
of the population sought outpatient care during a severe epidemic, and a typical epidemic caused tens of
thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations. The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed rapid
adoption of telehealth care, in particular for patients with mild to moderate ARI, shifting patients from
ambulatory visits to minimize healthcare exposure to COVID-19. Currently, influenza and COVID-19
vaccinations are the best available tools for reducing the respiratory virus burden and maintaining population
immunity. Vaccination programs represent a substantial public health investment. Given the magnitude of this
investment and the dynamic impact of respiratory viruses on public health, policymakers need accurate, timely,
and relevant data representing real-world VE to monitor the impact on respiratory illness burden in US
populations. The next 5 years of surveillance of respiratory illness in US populations will be critical in
accounting for changes in respiratory virus burden. The US Flu VE Network has the capacity, infrastructure,
research methods, and specimen collection experience to monitor any respiratory virus within US health care.
From 2022-2027, we propose to enroll ~6000 KPWA infants, children, and adults including older adults in
urgent care clinics, collect respiratory and blood specimens, complete enrollment and post-enrollment
questionnaires, collaborate with laboratory services to type and genetically sequence specimens, collate and
curate EHR data, collaborate across the Network with Component A sites, share data with Network
Coordination Center (Component B), share specimens with site leading Component E, participate in Network
research activities including dissemination, and develop new methods for estimation and inference in VE. Our
specific aims to meet the goals of the US Flu VE Network are: Aim 1. Establish a platform to estimate VE of
seasonal influenza and COVID-19 vaccines against respiratory viral illnesses in preventing laboratory-
confirmed illness among children and adults with mild or moderate illness seeking care in ambulatory settings
(Objective 1); Aim 2. Establish a protocol to obtain influenza and SARS-CoV-2 viral sequences from
specimens collected among infected participants in the proposed outpatient network (Objective 2); Aim 3.
Describe capacity and diagnostic test methods available in KPWA and methods to obtain COVID-19
vaccination data outside influenza season...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10617954
- **Project number:** 1U01IP001191-01
- **Recipient organization:** KAISER FOUNDATION HEALTH PLAN OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Karen J Wernli
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** ALLCDC
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $2,000,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-30 → 2027-09-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10617954

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10617954, Evaluating influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and other respiratory virus vaccine effectiveness in prevention of acute illness in Washington state 2022-2027 (1U01IP001191-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10617954. Licensed CC0.

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