Posted by Michael Wonder on 16 Mar 2020
2020 seasonal influenza vaccines
13 March 2020 - The Australian Influenza Vaccine Committee has reviewed data related to epidemiology, antigenic and genetic characteristics of recent influenza isolates circulating in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere, serological responses to previous year's vaccines, and the availability of candidate vaccines viruses and reagents.
Based on this review and the World Health Organization's recommendation, the AIVC recommended the viral strains to be used for influenza vaccines in the 2020 southern hemisphere influenza season.
The TGA has accepted the recommendations of the committee. This year there is a new A (H1N1) like virus strain, a new A (H3N2) like virus strain and a new strain for the B Victoria lineage when compared to the composition of the trivalent and quadrivalent vaccines for Australia in 2019.
