First 4-strain flu vaccine available
FDA recently approved the first 4-strain, cell culture-derived, inactivated seasonal flu vaccine available in the United States. Flucelvax Quadrivalent influenza vaccine (Seqirus) helps protect against the 2 influenza A viruses and two B viruses recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the FDA for the current influenza season.
FDA recently approved the first 4-strain, cell culture-derived, inactivated seasonal flu vaccine available in the United States. Flucelvax Quadrivalent influenza vaccine (Seqirus) helps protect against the 2 influenza A viruses and two B viruses recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and FDA for the current influenza season.
Each year, an average of 200,000 people are hospitalized because of influenza-related complications in the United States. As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages annual vaccination for all individuals aged six months and older.
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Flucelvax Quadrivalent is now indicated for active immunization in persons aged 4 years and older, for the prevention of influenza disease caused by influenza virus subtypes A and B contained in the vaccine.
Flucelvax Quadrivalent is an extension of Flucelvax, a cell-based trivalent vaccine that contains two strains of influenza A viruses but only one of influenza B. Since 1985, 2 strains of influenza B have co-circulated with varying dominance. The use of the quadrivalent vaccine may now provide protection against both B lineages, helping to decrease the prevalence of influenza in the US.
"As the first and only cell culture-derived seasonal influenza vaccine in the U.S. to offer 4-strain flu protection for people aged 4 years and older, Flucelvax Quadrivalent will provide healthcare providers and their patients with an important option to further broaden their influenza coverage," said Gordon Naylor, president of Seqirus.
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In trials, Flucelvax was shown to be efficacious against influenza caused by virus-like strains in 83.8% of patients and by all circulating influenza strains in 69.5% of patients. Flucelvax Quadrivalent produced stronger antibody responses to the influenza B strain, which was not contained in the trivalent comparator vaccine and has a safety profile similar to its comparator vaccines.
The most common adverse reactions associated with the use of the vaccine include injection site pain and redness, headache, fatigue and myalgia.
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