Dissertation Defense:
Savannah L. Miller
Doctoral Candidate, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics University of Georgia
From Immune Response to Public Health: Estimating Influenza Vaccine Protection Across Scales

Friday, March 27, 2026
8:00am – 9:00am
Wright Hall, Room 120A, HSC
Zoom option available

Abstract
Influenza vaccines and their components are assessed for their risks and benefits in many ways. New vaccine platforms, adjuvants, and other ingredients are frequently tested in animal models before being selected for human trials. In human populations, efficacy studies are conducted to measure the direct impact of the vaccine on an individual’s immune system and subsequent responses to exposure, as well as protection against infection and disease. These studies are resource-intensive and, in some cases, may be replaced byimmunogenicitystudies. Vaccine effectiveness studies, often based on test-negative designs, can then measure theoverall effect of vaccination and other influencing factors within populations. In this doctoral research, factors impacting vaccine protection were assessed across multiple scales. This research aimed to assess correlate-of-protection targets in animal models, the benefit of using an enhanced vaccine in older populations, and the impact of antigenic distance between vaccine and circulating strains on vaccine effectiveness.

The current use of traditional human correlates of protection as endpoints in experimental animal models was examined through correlate-of-protectionanalvses in murine and ferret challenge studies.
Relationshipswere frequently found ot be weak and variable across animal models and studies, indicating
that traditionally human endpoints may not be adequate for assessing efficacy ni animal models.
Immunogenicity data were then used to estimate vaccine efficacy in older adults, finding that high-dose
vaccines conferred greater estimated protection compared to standard-dose formulations. Finally, the relationship between antigenic distance and population-level vaccine effectiveness was modeled, with
results varying by influenza type and subtype, with implications for how vaccine strain selection may influence real-world protection.
All are welcome!