March 6, 2024 – An FDA advisory committee has really useful that the United States switch from a quadrivalent to a trivalent flu vaccine for the subsequent flu season.
The flu vaccine currently in use targets two A strains and two B strains. But the Yamagata/B subtype, which is already in decline, has not been detected worldwide since March 2020, in line with the FDA said. Social distancing and other precautions to avoid COVID apparently killed all of it.
In response to this alteration, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) voted on Tuesday to recommend the three-strain flu shot.
VRBPAC really useful that the egg-based influenza vaccines contain A/Victoria/4897/2022 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus, A/Thailand/8/2022 (H3N2)-like virus; and a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus.
The Committee really useful that cell or recombinant influenza vaccines contain an A/Wisconsin/67/2022 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus; an A/Massachusetts/18/2022 (H3N2)-like virus; and a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus.
The move isn’t any surprise. Experts from the World Health Organization and the FDA had been recommending the change since last 12 months.
Jerry Weir, MD, director of the FDA's Division of Viral Products, said firms that make flu vaccines must have the trivalent shot ready for the 2024-2025 flu season.
“Every U.S. influenza vaccine manufacturer has submitted updated regulatory filings for a trivalent influenza vaccine, and approval of all required regulatory filings for 2024-25 is on track,” he said throughout the advisory board meeting, according to CNN.
“The FDA expects that there will be an adequate and diverse supply of approved trivalent seasonal influenza vaccines in the United States for the upcoming season,” the agency said.
According to CNN, U.S. flu vaccine manufacturers will proceed to supply a four-strain vaccine for distribution in overseas markets.