The Australian Influenza Vaccine Committee (AIVC) met at TGA, Canberra, on Wednesday 9th October 2019, to recommend influenza viruses to be used in the composition of the influenza vaccines for 2020. During this meeting, 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 following viruses be used for influenza vaccines in the 2020 southern hemisphere influenza season:
Egg based Quadrivalent influenza vaccines:
- 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 influenza 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.
The AIVC recommendation for the composition of influenza vaccines for Australia in 2020 introduces a new A (H1N1) like virus strain, a new A (H3N2) like virus strain and new strain for the B Victoria lineage when compared to the composition of the trivalent and quadrivalent vaccines for Australia in 2019.
The recommendations made by AIVC align with the recommendations made by the WHO: Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2020 southern hemisphere influenza season- external site
The TGA has accepted the recommendations of the AIVC.
The TGA considers the following viruses or reassortants are suitable vaccine strains:
- those as listed on the WHO Influenza vaccine web pages: Influenza vaccine viruses and reagents- external site for H1N1, H3N2 and B viruses.
If other candidate vaccine viruses or reagents become available their suitability for use should be discussed with the TGA by emailing influenza.reagents@health.gov.au.