Vaccine provider Seqirus has started on-time shipping of its portfolio of Fluad (aTiv), Flucelvax Tetra (QIVc) vaccines to healthcare professionals across the UK.
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Delivering Seqirus’ vaccines to customers at the agreed times, despite the manufacturing challenges faced by the delay in the World Health Organisation (WHO) H3N2 strain announcement, means that GP practices and pharmacies will be well prepared to vaccinate the most vulnerable populations ahead of this year’s influenza season.
aTIV was the only flu vaccine recommended for reimbursement by the NHS for the 65+ age group during last year’s flu season and has been recommended again for this season.
Helen Concilia, UK country head, Seqirus, said: “The swift change over to aTIV for the entire 65+ population across the UK last season was a complex operation for all of us working on the front line of influenza prevention. However, the hard work from GPs, practice nurses and practice managers was effort well placed as aTIV appears to have significantly reduced the risk of influenza and medical visits in older adults in 2018-19, as highlighted by recent Public Health England data.”
The aTIV vaccine is manufactured at Seqirus’ Liverpool facility, the largest vaccine manufacturing site in the UK, employing over 800 people.
QIVc is the first cell-based quadrivalent influenza vaccine available in the UK. It received European regulatory approval in December 2018 and is manufactured using cell-based candidate vaccine viruses (CVV) for all four of the influenza strains recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). This vaccine is currently recommended alongside egg-based quadrivalent flu vaccines (QIVe) for those 18 to 64 years in at-risk groups and alongside aTIV for those aged 65 years and older.
Anjana Narain, Seqirus’ executive vice-president, said: “As a vaccine company dedicated to the prevention of influenza, Seqirus is proud to be delivering over 11.5 million vaccine doses to UK GP practices and pharmacies. For us it doesn’t stop there as we continue to invest in our service levels and new research to remain a reliable supplier of influenza vaccine to the NHS in future seasons.”