CD8A and influenza: The CD8+ T‐cell responses are important for viral clearance, promoting disease recovery and reducing disease severity.22 Evidence from human23, 24 and animal25 studies shows that preexisting memory CD8+ T‐cell responses directed at conserved and/or cross‐reactive epitopes can prevent subjects from severe influenza infection and provide a measure of protection for the immune naive host.24 Although some epitope analyses, such as for H7N9,26 H3N2,27 and H1N1,21, 26, 27, 28 have been reported, no systematic studies of conserved HPAI H5 CD8+ T‐cell epitopes have been conducted.