On 21 April 2026,the id.DRIVE study team, site collaborators and partners convened in Munich, Germany, for the annual id.DRIVE Site Investigators Meeting. The meeting provided an opportunity to review the ongoing 2025–2026 season progress, share interim surveillance results, and align on key operational improvements shaping the future of the network.
With contributions from more than 30 investigators from the id.DRIVE network representing 6 countries, the meeting reinforced the strength of the id.DRIVE collaborative platform and its role in generating high‑quality real‑world evidence on severe acute respiratory infections (SARI), vaccine effectiveness, and respiratory disease burden.The consortium partners gained insights from investigators about the enhancements for the 2025-2026 season, and highlighted the regional and country-specific variations that contribute to the distinctive richness of the id.DRIVE network.
Key highlights from the 2025–2026 season
Participants reviewed the progress of ongoing surveillance and vaccine effectiveness studies, covering COVID‑19, RSV and other respiratory pathogens. Interim results from the surveillance study showed continued high recruitment across core sites, with thousands of hospitalised SARI patients enrolled since September 2025.
Improvements implemented in 2025–2026
Several important enhancements to study conduct and oversight were presented and discussed. These changes are already contributing to improved data quality, earlier issue detection and more predictable site support. The sites welcomed the changes, and overall feedback on the updates made for the 2025-2026 season was positive compared to previous seasons.
New enhancements to study conduct and oversight are driving better data quality, faster issue detection, and more reliable site support. Sites welcomed the updates, with overall positive feedback for the 2025–2026 season.
Looking ahead: what’s coming next
The final sessions of the meeting focused on future developments that will further strengthen the id.DRIVE platform and expand its scientific scope in 2026-2027 and future seasons.
Upcoming and planned initiatives include:
- Launch of the combined id.DRIVE protocol for the 2026–2027 season, streamlining procedures across surveillance and vaccine effectiveness studies
- Transition to a new electronic data capture system, enabling more automated queries and faster issue resolution
- Expansion of the id.DRIVE network to Canada, starting September 2026
- Feasibility studies for:
- Community‑acquired pneumonia research;
- Extending data collection to the emergency department setting.
- Pandemic preparedness activities, including planning for rapid initiation of pandemic influenza vaccine effectiveness studies
- Potential full multi‑specimen studies beyond the pilot phase currently ongoing in Spain.
The 2026 Site Investigators Meeting highlighted not only strong progress during the current season, but also a clear and ambitious roadmap for the years ahead. By continuously refining methods, strengthening collaboration and preparing for future public health challenges, id.DRIVE remains well positioned to deliver timely, high‑quality evidence to support respiratory disease prevention and vaccination strategies across Europe and beyond.
