The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced recommendations for the viral composition of influenza vaccines for the 2023-2024 influenza season in the Northern Hemisphere. The announcement was made at a briefing at the end of a 4-day meeting on the Composition of Vaccines against the Influenza Virusmeeting held twice a year.
WHO organizes these consultations with an advisory group of experts gathered at WHO Collaborating Centers and WHO Essential Regulatory Laboratories to analyze influenza virus surveillance data generated by the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System. of the WHO. The issued recommendations are used by national vaccine regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical companies to develop, produce, and license influenza vaccines for the following influenza season.
Periodic updating of the viruses contained in influenza vaccines is necessary for the vaccines to be effective due to the constantly evolving nature of influenza viruses, including those that circulate and infect humans.
WHO recommends that quadrivalent vaccines for use in the 2023-2024 Northern Hemisphere influenza season contain the following:
egg-based vaccines
- an A/Victoria/4897/2022(H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
- A/Darwin/9/2021 (H3N2)-like virus; and
- a B/Austria/1359417/2021-like virus (B/Victoria lineage); and
- a B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus (B/Yamagata lineage).
Vaccines based on cell cultures or recombinants
- an A/Wisconsin/67/2022(H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
- A/Darwin/6/2021 (H3N2)-like virus;
- a B/Austria/1359417/2021-like virus (B/Victoria lineage); and
- a B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus (B/Yamagata lineage).
WHO recommends that trivalent vaccines for use in the 2023-2024 influenza season in the Northern Hemisphere contain the following:
egg-based vaccines
- an A/Victoria/4897/2022(H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
- A/Darwin/9/2021 (H3N2)-like virus; and
- a B/Austria/1359417/2021-like virus (B/Victoria lineage).
Vaccines based on cell cultures or recombinants
- a vi similar to A/Wisconsin/67/2022 (H1N1)pdm09;
- A/Darwin/6/2021 (H3N2)-like virus; and
- a B/Austria/1359417/2021-like virus (B/Victoria lineage)