influence, influenza

Influence or influence means the power to persuade other people, or to affect their behavior or decisions--
We hope he'll use his influence to get an appointment for our son.
He was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, or DUI.

Influenza or influenza ( often shortened to "flu" ) means a contagious disease caused by a virus--
The influenza epidemic that followed the war killed millions of people.
She caught influenza, and it took weeks for her to recover.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He is using his influence to persuade the government to fund a new influenza vaccine."