Seqirus Ships Northern Hemisphere Flu Vaccines

An Australia-based, worldwide leader in influenza prevention announced it is the first to ship seasonal influenza vaccines to customers in the United States for the 2019-2020 influenza season.   

Seqirus said in a July 15, 2019 press release that it ‘expects to distribute over 50 million doses to the U.S. market this year, with the majority of doses coming from its adjuvanted and cell-based technology platforms.’ 

Seqirus said it will deliver the following influenza products during 2019-2020:

• AFLURIA® QUADRIVALENT (Influenza Vaccine), an egg-based quadrivalent influenza vaccine
• FLUAD® (Influenza Vaccine, Adjuvanted), the first-and-only adjuvanted seasonal influenza vaccine developed for people aged 65 and older 
• FLUCELVAX® QUADRIVALENT (Influenza Vaccine), a cell-based influenza vaccine, available for those aged four and older. FLUCELVAX QUADRIVALENT was manufactured for the 2019/20 influenza season using cell-based candidate vaccine virus (CVV) for all 4 influenza strains recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO)

Additionally, Seqirus said it will distribute Rapivab® (peramivir injection), the only 1-dose intravenous antiviral treatment for acute uncomplicated influenza for people 2 years of age and older. 

"Vaccination can save millions of people," said Gregg Sylvester, M.D., Vice President of Medical Affairs at Seqirus. "In recent years, we have introduced vaccine technology designed to deliver on our commitment to protect people and communities from seasonal influenza." 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages annual influenza vaccination for all individuals aged 6 months and older. Because virus transmission to others may occur one day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick, the disease can be easily transmitted to others.   

Since it takes about 2 weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body that protects against influenza virus infection, it is best that people get vaccinated to help protect them before influenza begins spreading in their community. 

The CDC estimates that 959,000 people in the United States were hospitalized due to influenza-related complications during the 2017-2018 influenza season. 

Furthermore, a total of 122 influenza-associated pediatric deaths occurring during the 2018-2019 season have been reported to CDC.

Influenza vaccine news

• Flu Vaccines Expire on June 30th
• Xofluza Met Phase 3 Study Endpoint
• M-001 Universal Flu Vaccine Patient Application Accepted in Australia
• Universal Flu Shot Enters Phase 2 Clinical Study

Recently, a June 28th, 2019, study published in the journal Open Forum Infectious Diseases reported that people 85 years and older are much more likely to be hospitalized and die from an influenza virus than adults 65 to 74 years old. 

And, this CDC co-authored study confirmed that H3N2 flu viruses are particularly dangerous to older people.

As of July 1, 2019, the CDC updated its private sector vaccine prices for general information. And, the CDC’s Vaccines For Children program offers vaccines at no cost to children who might not otherwise be vaccinated because of inability to pay. 

Additional financial support programs can be found at Vaccine Discounts. 

Vaccines, like any medicine, can have side effects. You are encouraged to report vaccine side effects to the CDC.

Seqirus is part of CSL Limited, which is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.