Influenza Division

Our Mission

The Influenza Division (ID) improves global control and prevention of seasonal and novel influenza and improves influenza pandemic preparedness and response.

In collaboration with domestic and global partners, the ID:

• Builds surveillance and response capacity
• Monitors and assesses influenza viruses and illness Improves vaccines and other interventions
• Applies research to provide science-based enhancement of prevention and control policies and programs

For more information on influenza, please visit the seasonal flu website.

What We Do

Office of the Director

Dan Jernigan, MD – Director
Vivien Dugan, Ph.D. – Deputy Director

• Provides vision, leadership and direction for the Influenza Division
• Provides leadership, oversight and resources for Division-wide business functions through coordination and collaboration
• Fosters external partnerships and cross-cutting activities that support quality science and strong global partnerships
• Provides leadership in formulation of public health guidance and recommendations
• Provides support for national and international capacity building programs
• Provides technical expertise and leadership for national and international pandemic preparedness activities
• Provides technical expertise for communications, public health guidance, informatics, epidemiologic and laboratory science, and reagent resourcesexternal icon
• Assesses the potential pandemic risk posed by influenza viruses that currently circulate in animals

Virology, Surveillance, and Diagnosis Branch

David Wentworth, Ph.D. – Branch Chief

• Advances influenza virus control, prevention and pandemic preparedness and response
• Develops and distributes diagnostics and other reagents to detect and characterize influenza viruses
• Trains and supports more than 200 domestic and international laboratories that perform influenza testing
• Conducts comprehensive antigenic, phenotypic, genotypic, and evolutionary characterization of human (epidemic/seasonal) and animal (pandemic potential) influenza viruses
• Evaluates antiviral drugs and novel therapeutics to assess the emergence of drug resistant viruses
• Performs genetic and antigenic pandemic risk assessment of novel influenza viruses
• Generates and evaluates candidate vaccine viruses for distribution to vaccine manufacturers
• Serves as the WHO Collaborating Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology and Control of Influenzaexternal icon

Epidemiology and Prevention Branch

Alicia M. Fry, M.D. , M.P.H.– Branch Chief

• Conducts and builds capacity for national and global influenza surveillance to enhance the ability to monitor influenza viruses and associated illnesses and to detect novel influenza viruses
• Improves the understanding of the effectiveness and impact of influenza vaccines to inform vaccine policy
• Improves the understanding of risks associated with influenza infection and severe influenza in vulnerable populations
• Estimates the disease burden and severity of influenza in the U.S. population
• Leads collaborations and projects to foster innovation in influenza modeling and forecasting
• Expands the use of influenza vaccines globally, especially among vulnerable populations
• Optimizes the use of influenza antiviral drugs
• Works with a wide range of international partners, including the World Health Organization and National Ministries of Health, to prevent, control and build capacity for pandemic and seasonal influenza
• Maintains international regional influenza offices to facilitate partnerships for enhancing and optimizing global influenza surveillance, outbreak investigations and pandemic preparedness

Immunology and Pathogenesis Branch

Terrence Tumpey, Ph.D. – Branch Chief

• Increases knowledge and improves the understanding of immunity and immune correlates of protection
• Develops and improves influenza vaccines
• Determines virus and host factors that impact virulence and transmission of influenza viruses
• Conducts immunologic and virologic pandemic risk assessment of novel influenza viruses
• Trains and supports domestic and international laboratories that perform immunologic testing for influenza

Influenza Division Priorities

• Improve vaccine impact
• Improve influenza detection and control
• Improve epidemic and pandemic risk assessment and readiness
• Influenza Division Strategic Priorities pdf icon[6 pages]

Influenza Division Organizational Chart

• Organization Chart pdf icon[1 page]

Fact Sheet

• Influenza Planning and Response pdf icon[2 pages]