The dog days of summer might be in full swing, but for flu vaccine makers, its a busy time prepping for this fall's influenza season.
CSL Seqirus said it kicked off influenza vaccine shipments on July 9, when it began to ship out its three options, according to a press release. The company’s portfolio includes unique offerings such as Flucelvax, the “first and only” cell-based influenza vaccine and Fluad, which is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for people 65 and older.
CSL Seqirus also makes the egg-based vaccine Afluria for people six months of age and older.
"As we begin distributing influenza vaccines to healthcare providers throughout the U.S., it is imperative that we work to maintain high vaccination rates this season to help reduce the burden of influenza-related illnesses and the risk of severe outcomes,” the drugmaker’s chief health officer, Gregg Sylvester, M.D., said in a statement.
Last flu season in the U.S. saw significant decreases in vaccination rates and a spike in influenza-related hospitalizations and deaths, CSL Seqirus said, citing preliminary CDC estimates.
Sanofi, for its part, said it began its initial vaccine shipments on July 10, with more planned through October. Sanofi’s 2024/2025 flu vaccine portfolio includes its Flublok—a quadrivalent shot that's made using insect cells—as well as standard and high-dose versions of its Fluzone.
GSK said it started shipping its doses on July 11 following a licensing and lot-release approval from the FDA, according to a release. The company said it “worked quickly” to get doses produced and shipped after vaccine strain recommendations were made in February.
GSK markets Flulaval and Fluarix and expects to distribute more than 36 million doses in the U.S. this flu season.
It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop to combat flu, so vaccination is recommended ahead of the season, according to CSL Seqirus. That would ideally be in September or October for those who need only one dose, the CDC says.
The CDC advises all eligible people who are six months and older receive an annual vaccine, especially those at an increased risk of severe complications, including older adults, pregnant people and children under five years old.