The European Medicines Agency has delivered the European Union (EU) commendations for the influenza virus strains that vaccine companies should include in vaccines for the inhibition of seasonal influenza from autumn 2017.
Every year, EMA’s ad hoc Influenza Working Group issues EU recommendations for the composition of seasonal influenza vaccines on the basis of interpretations by the World Health Organization (WHO). The recommendations for the influenza season 2017/2018 were endorsed by the Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) on 23 March 2017.
Trivalent vaccines for the 2017/2018 season should comprise these three virus strains:
- an A/Michigan/45/2015 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
- an A/Hong Kong/4801/2014 (H3N2)-like virus;
- a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.
For quadrivalent vaccines with two influenza B viruses, a B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus in addition to the strains mentioned above is considered appropriate.
These recommendations also relate to the manufacturing of live mitigated influenza vaccines.
Dated: 24th March 2017