Seqirus has begun shipping its portfolio of seasonal influenza v to customers in the U.S. for the 2020/21 influenza season.

"We are collaborating with our partners across the industry to ensure a reliable supply of influenza vaccines throughout the season to help ensure as many eligible people as possible get an influenza vaccination," said Dave Ross, Vice President, North America Commercial Operations at Seqirus. "Our healthcare system is facing an unprecedented public health crisis with COVID-19, and we are proud to provide healthcare providers and their patients with a broad range of influenza vaccine options as early as possible to help protect against influenza and help lessen the overall burden on our healthcare system."

This year Seqirus will provide FLUAD? (Influenza Vaccine, Adjuvanted), the first-and-only adjuvanted seasonal influenza vaccine approved for adults 65 and older, in addition to FLUAD? Quadrivalent (Influenza Vaccine, Adjuvanted). FLUAD? Quadrivalent contains an additional B strain to help prevent disease caused by all 4 influenza strains represented in the vaccine. The Seqirus 2020/21 influenza vaccine portfolio also includes FLUCELVAX? QUADRIVALENT (Influenza Vaccine), a cell-based quadrivalent influenza vaccine approved for use in persons 4 years of age and older5 and AFLURIA? QUADRIVALENT (Influenza Vaccine), an egg-based quadrivalent influenza vaccine approved for use in those six months of age and older.

"Influenza vaccination is critical every year, and it is more important than ever this season as it can help reduce the risk of co-infection from seasonal influenza and COVID-19 and minimize the burden of flu on the healthcare system to preserve capacity for patients with COVID-19 and other serious disorders," said Gregg Sylvester, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Seqirus. "Our cell-based and adjuvant vaccine technologies are designed to address influenza prevention challenges and deliver on our commitment to safeguard people and communities against seasonal influenza."

Seqirus produces influenza vaccines across its global manufacturing network, which includes facilities in the U.S., U.K. and Australia. The company has experienced record demand for influenza vaccines across all markets for the upcoming season and has extended production across its three manufacturing sites.

"We are exploring all possibilities to optimize supply across our global network to help meet the additional demand for the 2020/21 influenza season," said Chris Larkins, Senior Vice President of Global Operations at Seqirus. "We are collaborating with stakeholders across the public health community to ensure recommendations on influenza immunization practices are aligned with timing of available supply. Our focus right now is to ensure as many people as possible can be vaccinated prior to when influenza usually peaks in February and March."

Influenza is a common, highly contagious infectious disease that may cause severe illness and life-threatening complications in some people. To reduce the risk of more serious outcomes, such as hospitalization and death resulting from influenza, the CDC recommends annual vaccination for individuals aged 6 months and older. Because transmission of influenza viruses to others may occur one day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick, the disease can be easily transmitted to others Influenza can lead to clinical symptoms varying from mild to moderate respiratory illness to severe complications, hospitalization and in some cases, death. Preliminary estimates from the CDC report that from October 1, 2019, through April 4, 2020, there have been an estimated 410,000 to 740,000 influenza-related hospitalizations in the U.S. Since it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body that help protect against influenza virus infection, it is recommended that people get vaccinated before influenza begins spreading in their community.