Influenza Vaccine Composition 2020 – Southern Hemisphere/Australia
The formulation of influenza vaccines for use in Australia is determined each year by the Australian Influenza Vaccine Committee (AIVC) based on information and recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO). A meeting of the AIVC was held on 9th October 2019 where the expert committee reviewed and evaluated data related to epidemiology, antigenic and genetic characteristics of recent influenza isolates circulating in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere, serological responses to 2018-2019 vaccines, and the availability of candidate vaccines viruses and reagents. The committee recommended that the TGA should adopt the WHO recommendations for the 2020 flu season.
The influenza vaccine for the Australian 2020 influenza season is to contain the following virus strains:
Egg based Quadrivalent influenza:
- an A/Brisbane/02/2018 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
- an A/South Australia/34/2019 (H3N2)-like virus;
- a B/Washington/02/2019-like (B/Victoria lineage) virus; and
- a B/Phuket/3073/2013-like (B/Yamagata lineage) virus.
Egg based Trivalent vaccines:
- an A/Brisbane/02/2018 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
- an A/South Australia/34/2019 (H3N2)-like virus; and
- a B/Washington/02/2019-like (B/Victoria lineage) virus.
References
1. WHO 2020 Southern Hemisphere recommendation
