By Hugo Francisco de Souza Reviewed by Benedette Cuffari, M.Sc. Feb 2 2026 Inside the rigorous, step-by-step process the CDC uses to create pandemic-ready flu vaccine viruses, long before the next global health emergency strikes. Study: Development of pre-pandemic influenza candidate vaccine viruses for use in vaccine manufacturing . Image Credit: Pickadook / Shutterstock.com In a recent paper published in  npj Vaccines , researchers from the United States Centers for Disease Control and