Mapping the Scientific Landscape of Research on the H3N2 Influenza Vaccine: A Scientometric Study for Health Promotion

Objective: The study aims to develop a mapping and characterization of worldwide scientific output related to hemagglutinin subtype 3 (H3) and neuraminidase subtype 2 (N2) (H3N2) vaccines from 2020 to 2025 using a scientometric method. Methods: A descriptive and retrospective study was completed regarding the Reporting and Measurement of Items for Bibliometric or Scientometric Studies guidelines. The study was completed on December 25, 2025 via Scopus with a search query based on the name of the H3N2 virus and vaccinations and yielded 360 records. The extracted data were then imported into the SciVal platform and analyzed using Bibliometrix software to assess the productivity, impact, and collaboration of each record and to identify themes based on the use of bibliometric indicators, co-authorship networks, and keyword maps. Results: A total of 360 published articles were found in 150 different sources, showing an annual growth rate of 5.5%, an average number of years of publication for the 360 published articles being 2.3 years, and an average number of citations (the number of times a published article has been cited by another published article) of 10.3 per article. The majority (96%) of published articles are original articles, and there is evidence of a large amount of scientific collaboration (10.9 authors per article and 26.6% of all co-authored articles having at least one international co-author). “Vaccines and Vaccination” published the highest number of articles, but the journals “Clinical Infectious Diseases” and “Journal of Infectious Diseases” had the highest relative impact (impact factor). The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published the most articles and received the most citations. The life cycle analysis for published articles shows rapid growth up to the date of writing this report, followed by a period of maturation. The United States is the most important center for international collaboration, particularly with China, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Conclusion: The research associated with the influenza vaccine A (H3N2) developed through international cooperation continues to foster advances in clinical applications, epidemiological monitoring, and vaccine research. These findings suggest that the global network of research related to this topic is developing at a rapid pace.