Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42807221›Full record

ReviewFrontiers in immunology2026

mRNA-based seasonal influenza vaccines: an overview of immunogenicity, efficacy, and safety.

Alexander Domnich, Andrea Orsi

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Frontiers in immunology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Alexander DomnichAOM - IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy.
Andrea OrsiAOM - IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Available seasonal influenza vaccines, most of which are still produced in eggs, have several limitations. Messenger RNA (mRNA) technology has emerged as a transformative approach capable of overcoming some of these shortcomings. This overview synthesizes clinical trials evaluating the immunogenicity, efficacy, and safety of standalone and combination mRNA influenza vaccines. Moderna's mRNA-1010 (now approved in the United States) and Pfizer's modified-nucleoside RNA candidate (modRNA) represent the most advanced standalone platforms, while Moderna's combination influenza and COVID-19 vaccine, mRNA-1083, was recently granted European authorization. Following iterative platform optimization, these vaccines induce robust humoral and cell-mediated responses, especially against influenza A strains, characterized by extended germinal center reactions, continuous somatic hypermutation, enhanced Fc-mediated effector functions, and strong T helper 1 engagement. In phase III relative efficacy trials, an optimized mRNA-1010 formulation achieved superiority over standard-dose vaccines with a relative efficacy of 26.6% (95% CI: 16.7%, 35.4%) in adults aged ≥50 years. Pfizer's first-generation quadrivalent modRNA candidate showed 34.5% (95% CI: 7.4%, 53.9%) relative efficacy against a standard-dose comparator in younger adults aged 18-64 years, but failed to demonstrate non-inferiority in older adults (≥65 years), showing a relative efficacy of -5.8% (95% CI: -47.2%, 23.8%). However, whether mRNA platforms offer incremental benefits over enhanced formulations (such as high-dose, adjuvanted, or recombinant vaccines), which are the preferred options in some countries for older adults, remains to be established. The safety profile aligns with licensed COVID-19 mRNA vaccines; although reactogenicity is higher than with conventional vaccines, adverse reactions are predominantly mild-to-moderate and transient. Operationally, transitioning to single-dose pre-filled syringes alongside expanding refrigerated stability data significantly mitigates historical cold-chain bottlenecks. However, while standalone and combination mRNA platforms represent a major technological advance, real-world implementation challenges may affect their broader global health impact.

Indexed as

Immunogenicity, VaccineInfluenza, HumanInfluenza VaccinesRNA, MessengerAnimalsHumansmRNA VaccinesVaccine EfficacyVaccines, SyntheticInfluenza VaccinesmRNA VaccinesRNA, MessengerVaccines, Syntheticinfluenzainfluenza vaccinesmodRNAmRNA-1010mRNA-1083mRNA vaccines

Identifiers

PMID42807221
PMCPMC13617365

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.