The article discusses the evolution and impact of the GISAID Initiative, a global platform for sharing influenza data. Founded in 2008, GISAID has become an essential mechanism for rapid and transparent sharing of influenza genetic sequences and metadata, addressing the limitations of traditional public-domain archives. The initiative was established to foster international collaboration and improve understanding of influenza viruses, particularly in response to emergencies like the 2009 H1N1 pandemic and the 2013 H7N9 outbreak. GISAID's Database Access Agreement (DAA) ensures data sharing while protecting intellectual property rights, and it has been instrumental in facilitating global collaborations and enhancing the credibility of WHO recommendations for vaccine development. The article highlights the importance of GISAID in pandemic preparedness and suggests that its model could be applied to other emerging infectious diseases.The article discusses the evolution and impact of the GISAID Initiative, a global platform for sharing influenza data. Founded in 2008, GISAID has become an essential mechanism for rapid and transparent sharing of influenza genetic sequences and metadata, addressing the limitations of traditional public-domain archives. The initiative was established to foster international collaboration and improve understanding of influenza viruses, particularly in response to emergencies like the 2009 H1N1 pandemic and the 2013 H7N9 outbreak. GISAID's Database Access Agreement (DAA) ensures data sharing while protecting intellectual property rights, and it has been instrumental in facilitating global collaborations and enhancing the credibility of WHO recommendations for vaccine development. The article highlights the importance of GISAID in pandemic preparedness and suggests that its model could be applied to other emerging infectious diseases.