Update of EU recommendations for 2019/2020 seasonal flu vaccine composition
NewsHumanVaccines
EMA has issued an Biologics Working Party (BWP) Ad hoc Influenza Working Group - Amended European Union recommendations for the seasonal influenza vaccine composition for the season 2019/2020that vaccine manufacturers should include in vaccines for the prevention of seasonal influenza from autumn 2019.
The recommendations now also contain a decision on suitable H3N2 strains for inactivated influenza vaccines. The list of reagents for vaccine standardisation has also been updated. Details such as the specific virus strains to be included, are available in the updated 2019/2020 recommendations issued by EMA's Biologics Working Party (BWP) ad-hoc Influenza Working Group.
The initial EU strain recommendations for the composition of 2019/2020 seasonal flu vaccines were made on 1 April 2019.
Every year, the ad-hoc Influenza Working Group issues EU guidance regarding the composition of seasonal influenza vaccines on the basis of recommendations made by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The Agency urges marketing-authorisation holders to submit applications to change the composition of centrally authorised seasonal flu vaccines by 17 June 2019.