September 24, 2013
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LAIV4 expected to replace LAIV3 this flu season

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The CDC recommends that all people aged at least 6 months receive an annual influenza vaccination for the 2013-2014 season.

This year, the quadrivalent live-attenuated influenza vaccine is expected to replace the trivalent vaccine used in previous years, according to the report in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. There will also be both trivalent and quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccines.

The available trivalent vaccines will include influenza A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)–like virus, an H3N2 virus antigenically like the cell-propagated prototype virus A/Victoria/361/2011, and an influenza B/Massachusetts/2/2012–like virus. The quadrivalent vaccine will include an additional strain, influenza B/Brisbane/60/2008–like virus. There is no recommendation for one vaccine over another for those who can receive any of the vaccine.

  • The quadrivalent LAIV, FluMist (MedImmune), is indicated for healthy, nonpregnant people aged 2 to 49 years.
  • Two quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccines, Fluarix Quadrivalent (GlaxoSmithKline) and FluLaval Quadrivalent (ID Biomedical Corp., GlaxoSmithKline), are available and indicated for people aged at least 3 years.
  • Another quadrivalent inactivated vaccine, Fluzone Quadrivalent (Sanofi-Pasteur), is indicated for people aged at least 6 months.
  • A trivalent cell culture-based inactivated influenza vaccine, Flucelvax (Novartis), is indicated for those aged at least 18 years.
  • A recombinant hemagglutinin vaccine, Flublok (Protein Sciences), is indicated for people aged 18 to 49 years and is an option for those with egg allergy.