2023 Unite Health Global Award for the COVID19 Influencers Award. Out of over 300 nominees, Dr Vinod emerged as the distinguished winner in the “Understanding the Virus” category, making him the sole recipient from Malaysia to receive this prestigious honour. Dr Vinod was nominated for the award in recognition of his invaluable contributions to public education regarding vaccine advocacy, in-depth knowledge of the virus, and other critical aspects related to the pandemic.The 2023 COVID-19 Influencers Awards, sponsored by Novavax, an American biotechnology company, and Inis Communications, attracted outstanding professionals from around the world. This collaboration included renowned global communications and public health giants such as TDR, the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases; the Barcelona Institute for Global Health; One by One Target COVID19; Health Policy Watch; InterNews Health Journalism Network; AFEW International; and Communications Medicine Nature Portfolio.