On 1 September 2026, id.DRIVE launched its 2026-2027 epidemiological year, marking the partnership’s third consecutive common data collection season. The new season will continue to track respiratory infectious diseases and support collaborative research across Europe and North America. It is also the first season to include Canada, the network’s first participating country outside Europe.
Following several months of preparation, 26 hospitals representing 11 Study Contributors have been activated in Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom.
The 2026–2027 network includes sites in Canada (Toronto TIBDN at Mount Sinai Hospital, The Ottawa Hospital and Calgary Corridor Hospitals); France (Henri Mondor Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, and Centre Hospitalier Annecy Genevois); Germany (Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, University Hospital Essen, University Hospital Ulm and University Hospital Düsseldorf); Italy (the CIRI-IT network); and the United Kingdom (Edinburgh, NHS Lothian).
Data collection began on 1 September 2026. By 25 September, more than 250 participants had already been recruited. The partnership aims to enrol more than 7,200 participants in the common data collection, which will support id.DRIVE surveillance and vaccine effectiveness studies.
As previously announced, the network is recruiting participants in Canada for the first time. Read more about preparations for the Canadian sites
Drawing on lessons from previous seasons, the monitoring system has been strengthened to support data quality through a combination of on-site and remote visits, with monitoring frequency aligned with recruitment progress. For several id.DRIVE sites, the first on-site monitoring visits are planned for October. Additionally, the 2026-2027 study protocol was approved in March and combines the common data collection for id.DRIVE surveillance and vaccine effectiveness studies. The latest version is available on the study documents page.
The new 2026-27 season builds on a strong collaborative foundation
The id.DRIVE partnership builds on the foundation established by the DRIVE Project, which began nine years ago. Its study network continues to grow through close collaboration among id.DRIVE partners, research sites and dedicated study teams, several of which also contributed to the DRIVE and COVIDRIVE projects.
“We are grateful to all participating sites, study teams and partners for their commitment and thorough preparation for the new season,” said Kaatje Bollaerts (P95), Principal Investigator of the id.DRIVE studies. “Their continued collaboration is essential to delivering high-quality data across the network, which is improving with every new id.DRIVE season.”