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Read. Follow. Verify.Protecting America from Seasonal and Pandemic Influenza Act of 2026
Last action · April 22, 2026: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.Sponsors: Rick Larsen and 5 others
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What This Bill Would Do
This bill proposes a national strategy to improve the speed and effectiveness of the U.S. response to seasonal and pandemic influenza. It mandates new goals for vaccine development, requires plans to strengthen domestic manufacturing, and updates the responsibilities of federal health agencies.
The bill sets a 10-year deadline for developing a universal flu vaccine and a 3-year deadline for the U.S. to gain the capacity to deliver initial pandemic vaccine doses within 12 weeks of a new strain's emergence.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Vaccine Manufacturers
Manufacturers are expected to partner with federal agencies to develop a universal vaccine and participate in public-private partnerships to strengthen domestic supply chains.
Department of Health and Human Services
The agency is tasked with creating new strategic plans, managing public-private partnerships, and submitting annual reports to Congress.
Key Facts
- Sets a national goal to deliver first doses of a pandemic influenza vaccine within 12 weeks of a new strain's emergence by 2029.
- Sets a national goal to develop a universal influenza vaccine by 2036.
- Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to publish a pandemic vaccine delivery plan within 6 months of enactment.
- Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to publish a universal vaccine development plan within 1 year of enactment.
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- Mandates the establishment of public-private partnerships to strengthen the domestic vaccine supply chain, including ingredients, manufacturing, and ancillary supplies like needles.
- Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to submit annual reports to Congress on the implementation of the National Influenza Vaccine Modernization Strategy through 2030.
- Amends the Public Health Service Act to formally include pandemic influenza medical countermeasures in the responsibilities of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response.
- Directs the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority to support research into innovative technologies for rapid pandemic response.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a universal influenza vaccine?
How does this bill address reliance on foreign supply chains?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
2 actions- Apr 22, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Apr 22, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced in House
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
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Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Focus on Domestic Manufacturing
The bill explicitly identifies reliance on China for pharmaceutical supply chains as a national security threat, marking a shift toward prioritizing domestic production capacity.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.congress.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy20Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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