Category: Flu Vaccine

Colorized transmission electron micrograph showing H1N1 influenza virus particles. (Photo by: NIH/NAID/IMAGE.FR/BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - The first child to die from influenza in Michigan was confirmed by the health department.

The child contracted influenza A(H1N1), the health department said in a statement this week. It's one of 93 influenza-associated pediatric deaths reported in the U.S.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there have been between 20,000-57,000 deaths associated with the flu this season.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is seeing a rise in influenza cases, currently, despite only 25.1% of the state's residents being vaccinated against the flu.

"These are tragedies that no family should ever have to endure," said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive. "Each year influenza claims the lives of dozens of children across the United States."

The health department used the opportunity to encourage others to get vaccinated. Anyone over six months of age is recommended to get the seasonal shot to reduce transmission and protect against severe symptoms.

Pregnant people are also encouraged to get vaccinated, protecting them and their baby.

According to the Michigan Care Improvement Registry, the flu vaccine coverage for kids six months to 17 years is slightly lower than last year's coverage rate.

The flu isn't the only illness going around in Michigan.

The state is also working to contain possible exposure locations linked to measles cases. At least five in Southeast Michigan have been reported to the health department.

Cases have been reported in Wayne County and Washtenaw County.

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Michigan reports first influenza-associated death in children as vaccine coverage dips - AOL

(Precision Vaccinations News)

CSL Seqirus today announced that it is fully equipped to deliver its influenza vaccine portfolio for the 2024-2025 U.S. season.

The new vaccine will be based on the trivalent strains recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), which confirmed the viral strain selection in a March 5, 2024 meeting.

Furthermore, CSL Seqirus has already received FDA approvalfor its U.S. trivalent influenza vaccines.

"CSL Seqirus applauds the VRBPAC's commitment to providing a clear, evidence-backed recommendation to the FDA so that the composition of seasonal influenza vaccines for the upcoming season will be formulated to match projected circulating strains, based on the WHO's ongoing surveillance," said Gregg Sylvester, CSL Seqirus's Chief Health Officer and Head of Medical Affairs, in a press release.

"In addition to implementing this change, we are committed to working with our partners in public health to reverse the alarming decline in immunization rates and vaccine confidence that we have seen over the past two flu seasons."

The strain selection for the 2024/25 influenza season reflects the removal of B/Yamagata, which will not be included in the vaccines manufactured and delivered by CSL Seqirus.

This selection is in accordance with the February 2024 World Health Organizationrecommendations and is identical to the Southern Hemisphere 2024 flu season, which usually occurs between April and September.

On March 4, 2024, the WHOpublishedInfluenza UpdateN 466,confirminginfluenza detections have recentlydecreased in the Northern Hemisphere.

"This strain consistency across hemispheres will support both speed and efficiency, as CSL Seqirus has experience manufacturing these recommended strains," commentedDave Ross, Vice President of North America Commercial Operations, CSL Seqirus.

Across the globe, CSL Seqirus is collaborating with regulatory bodies and public health authorities on an appropriate transition timeline for each country, which aims to ensure a smooth transition, increase vaccine confidence, and improve immunization rates.

CSL Seqirusisone of the largest influenza vaccine providers in the world. It utilizes egg, cell,and adjuvant technologies to offer a broad portfolio of differentiated influenza vaccines in more than 20 countries worldwide.

As of late February 2024, the U.S. CDC reported over158millionflu vaccineshad beendistributedduring the 2023-2024 season.

Various flu shots remain available at most pharmacies in the U.S.

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Trivalent Influenza Vaccines Will Be Delivered for the 2024-2025 Flu Season - Precision Vaccinations

A type of flu virus that used to sicken people every year hasn't been spotted anywhere on Earth since March 2020. As such, experts have advised that the apparently extinct viruses be removed from next year's flu vaccines.

The now-extinct viruses were a branch of the influenza B family tree known as the Yamagata lineage. Scientists first reported the apparent disappearance of Yamagata viruses in 2021. At that time, experts speculated that precautions taken to stop the spread of COVID-19 such as masking and social distancing had not only driven the overall number of flu cases to historic lows but may have completely snuffed out this type of flu virus.

Now, according to news reports, a panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has unanimously agreed that Yamagata viruses should be dropped from the flu shot formulation for the 2024-2025 flu season. For the past decade, U.S. flu vaccines have protected against four types of flu two influenza A strains and two influenza B strains but that number will now fall to three.

The advisory committee has been pushing for this change for some time, STAT reported, and in fall 2023, the World Health Organization raised the same recommendation on a global scale.

Related: Is it too late to get a flu shot?

Dropping Yamagata from flu shot formulations could help boost manufacturers' production capacity, so they can make more doses. Plus, it would eliminate any potential risks associated with growing the virus in a lab a process currently required to make flu vaccines, CNN reported.

And at baseline, experts emphasized that people needn't be vaccinated for something that appears to be extinct, STAT reported.

"We don't want to vaccinate you for a virus that's no longer in circulation for three, four years now," Dr. Hana El Sahly, a professor of molecular virology and microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine and chair of the FDA advisory committee, said at a meeting Tuesday (March 5).

"We've been talking about this for four years," Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and a member of the FDA advisory committee, told CNN.

Despite the consensus among health officials, leaders in the pharmaceutical industry argued that manufacturers would need more time to switch to a trivalent formulation. Making the switch requires manufacturers to clear various regulatory hurdles. But with the FDA advisers pushing ahead, manufacturers are prepared to make trivalent vaccines for the U.S. starting this upcoming season; other countries will likely follow later, in accordance with their regulatory policies, STAT reported.

According to CNN, Jerry Weir, director of the FDA's Division of Viral Products, confirmed at the meeting Tuesday that all U.S. flu shot manufacturers have submitted the required regulatory paperwork and should be on track to make trivalent vaccines next season.

As these changes take effect, scientists around the world will continue to watch out for Yamagata alongside other flu viruses that infect people.

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A branch of the flu family tree has died and won't be included in future US vaccines - Livescience.com

LANSING, Mich. (WXYZ) The first pediatric death linked to influenza in Michigan this season has been confirmed, the state health department said on Friday.

The child contracted influenza A, H1N1, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said. At least 93 flu-related pediatric deaths have been reported this season nationwide.

These are tragedies that no family should ever have to endure, said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigans chief medical executive in a statement. Each year influenza claims the lives of dozens of children across the United States. This is why MDHHS continues to strongly recommend that everyone six months of age and older get a seasonal flu vaccine. Its the best way to protect yourself and your family from getting sick and reduces illness severity if someone does get the flu.

According to MDHHS, Michigan is seeing a rise in influenza cases right now.

Over the past few years, we have been seeing a late spike of flu cases at the end of the season, which is unusual," said Dr. Hassan Akel, an emergency room physician based in metro Detroit.

Since October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates nationally, there have been at least:

MDHHS say 25.1% of Michigan residents are vaccinated against the flu this season. You can find a flu vaccine near you by calling your health care provider, your local health department or at vaccines.gov. More information about the flu in Michigan can be found on the states website.

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First influenza-linked child death reported in Michigan this season, MDHHS says - WXYZ 7 Action News Detroit

NEW YORK (AP) Early estimates suggest flu shots are performing OK in the current U.S. winter flu season.

The vaccines were around 40% effective in preventing adults from getting sick enough from the flu that they had to go to a doctors office, clinic or hospital, health officials said during a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccines meeting Wednesday. Children who were vaccinated were roughly 60% less likely to get treatment at a doctors office or hospital, CDC officials said.

Officials generally are pleased if a flu vaccine is 40% to 60% effective.

The shots tend to do better when they are well matched against the circulating flu strains. Officials say thats whats happened during this relatively typical flu season.

Annual flu vaccines are recommended for everyone 6 months and older in the U.S. About half of eligible kids and just under half of adults got flu shots in the last several months, according to CDC data.

The CDC uses several systems to track the vaccines. One is a network of hospitals that offer information on how well the vaccines prevent flu-related illnesses bad enough to require admission. Another draws on outpatient data from urgent care clinics and hospital emergency departments.

Estimates from four different surveillance systems were presented at Wednesdays meeting of a committee that advises the CDC on vaccines. The findings were reported as ranges, but their midpoints hovered close to 40% for adults and around 60% for children.

The adult effectiveness estimate is similar to what CDC initially reported for last flu season. The shots proved less effective in some other recent seasons, the results influenced by what virus strain was dominating and how well the vaccines were matched to it.

One committee member expressed disappointment at recent effectiveness findings.

There seems to be diminishing returns for annual influenza immunization, said Dr. Sarah Long, of Drexel University.

Long asked whether repeated vaccinations, year-after-year, might be leading to lower immune system responses. A CDC official said some researchers have been exploring that question, so far without conclusive results.

One thing that does seem to arise consistently from these things is that in general you are better off if you got vaccinated than if you didnt, said the CDCs Dr. Lisa Grohskopf.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Flu shots are doing OK vs. virus, US numbers indicate - The Associated Press

This season’s influenza shots have so far been 42 percent effective, which is consistent with recent years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said this week.

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices released the details of the 2023-24 season vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimates Thursday. Among children, the vaccine was 52 to 61 percent effective in preventing flu-associated hospitalizations. It was 41 to 44 percent effective against preventing adult flu hospitalizations.

“These findings indicated that the 2023-24 seasonal influenza vaccine is effective at reducing the risk of influenza-associated outpatient visits and hospitalization,” the CDC said in its report.

The strains selected to be targeted by the flu vaccine are changed each year as authorities seek the best updates to stop the virus.

This season, the vaccine targeted both influenza A and B, and the committee said it was effective at combating both viruses.

“We’re right in the range that we typically see when the vaccine is a good match with the viruses that are circulating. Good VE, and it’s working consistent with past years,” Sascha Ellington, head of the CDC’s flu prevention and control team, said in a statement to CBS News.

The CDC recommends all eligible people 6 months and older receive an annual flu shot.

Continued here:

CDC: Flu shots 42 percent effective this season, consistent with past years - The Hill

Flu vaccine appears to be offering reasonable levels of protection this winter, with particularly strong levels in children, new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest.

The vaccine effectiveness estimates, which showed unusually robust protection for children against influenza B viruses but more modest protection for people ages 65 and older against influenza A viruses, were presented Wednesday at a meeting of the CDCs expert vaccine panel, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

The figures were based on data from four national databases, and a separate analysis from California.

This flu season is ongoing and these estimates are preliminary. The CDC will reassess the vaccines effectiveness later in the year, after the season ends. That said, flu activity appeared to peak over the Christmas holidays, and has been declining slowly since then. The CDC has assessed this flu season as being of moderate severity.

In children, the vaccine effectiveness against any type of flu infection requiring medical care ranged from 59% to 67%, depending on the database. Protection against illness serious enough to require hospitalization ranged from 52% to 61%.

The vaccine effectiveness in children against influenza A H1N1 viruses the type that has predominated this flu season ranged from 54% to 61% against flu infection requiring medical care and between 64% and 89% in protecting against infection with influenza B. Flu B viruses have made up a minority of circulating viruses this year, though they have been seen more commonly in the past few weeks.

In all adults, the vaccines appeared to offer strong protection against flu B virus, with a vaccine effectiveness of 78% against illness requiring medical care and 60% against illness serious enough to require hospitalization. Robust protection was even seen in adults aged 65 and older, a group in whom flu can cause serious illness but in whom vaccines may not generate as much protection as they do in younger adults.

The effectiveness of the vaccines against H1N1 viruses was lower, estimated to be 25% against any illness requiring medical care and 50% against flu requiring hospitalization in all adults. The vaccine appeared to be somewhat more effective in adults 65 and older, who are recommended to get specially formulated shots that either contain a high dose of vaccine or include an adjuvant, a boosting compound.

The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older should get vaccinated against flu annually. But vaccine uptake has been declining since the Covid-19 pandemic. The CDC estimates that 51% of children and 48% of adults have received flu vaccine this year, with the rate among people ages 65 and older at nearly 74%.

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Flu vaccine offering decent levels of protection this winter, new data show - STAT

TOPLINE:

Young children with October birthdays may be better protected against flu, a new study shows. Children tend to receive vaccinations at regular preventive visits the month they were born, and October happens to be an optimal time to get the flu vaccine, the researchers said.

"The findings support current recommendations that children be vaccinated in October preceding a typical influenza season," the authors of the study wrote.

Anupam B. Jena, MD, PhD, with Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, was the corresponding author on the study. The research was published online on February 21 in BMJ.

The availability of the influenza vaccine and the peak of seasonal flu infections vary by year and region.

Researchers disclosed consulting fees from pharmaceutical and healthcare companies unrelated to the study.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.

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Does an October Birthday Protect Kids From Flu? - Medscape

As winter's chill deepens, a beacon of hope emerges in the fight against the seasonal flu. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that this year's flu vaccine is performing admirably, providing substantial protection against the virus, particularly among our youngest. In a season where the flu's unpredictability often leaves health professionals guessing, these findings underscore the vaccine's critical role in our public health arsenal.

The effectiveness of the flu vaccine in children this winter is nothing short of remarkable. According to the latest CDC data, we're seeing protection rates ranging from 59% to 67% in preventing medical care for any flu type, with hospitalization prevention rates between 52% and 61%. Against the predominant influenza A H1N1 viruses, the numbers are equally impressive, with effectiveness in children for care prevention ranging from 54% to 61% and an astounding 64% to 89% against influenza B. This level of efficacy paints a picture of a strong shield guarding our children against the ravages of the flu.

For adults, the landscape is a bit more nuanced. While the vaccine shows a 78% effectiveness against influenza B requiring medical care, its performance against H1N1 dips to 25% for preventing medical care and 50% for hospitalizations. However, adults aged 65 and older benefit from specially formulated high-dose or adjuvant-containing vaccines, providing them slightly better protection. Despite these mixed results, the overarching message from health authorities remains clear: vaccination offers a significant layer of defense against the flu.

Amid these findings, a concerning trend emergesthe decline in flu vaccination rates since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Current vaccination rates stand at 51% for children and 48% for adults, with nearly 74% for those aged 65 and older. This drop underscores the need for increased public health efforts to encourage vaccination, especially in light of the substantial protection it offers. As we navigate through the winter months, the CDC continues to recommend annual flu vaccinations for everyone aged 6 months and older, emphasizing that despite the flu's unpredictability, vaccination remains our best defense.

As we reflect on the current flu season's data, it's evident that the flu vaccine is a cornerstone of public health, particularly for our most vulnerable populations. While vaccination rates and the varying effectiveness among different age groups present challenges, the overall message is clear: the flu vaccine is doing its job, providing a crucial buffer against the flu's impact. As the winter continues, let's not forget the power of vaccination in safeguarding our health and the health of those around us.

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Flu Vaccine Shows Notable Effectiveness This Winter, Especially Among Children - Medriva

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Researchers are developing a new recombinant flu vaccine that has the potential to compete with existing vaccines.

Recombinant protein vaccines, like the Novavax vaccine used to fight COVID-19, offer several advantages over conventional vaccines. Theyre easy to precisely produce. Theyre safe, and potentially more effective. And they could require smaller doses.

Because of these traits, there is much interest in developing recombinant influenza vaccines. To date, however, the Food and Drug Administration has approved only one such vaccine.

The researchers at the University at Buffalo hope to add to that number.

Because of the variable nature of the viruses that cause influenza, current vaccines are not optimally effective among the overall population, says Jonathan Lovell, professor in the biomedical engineering department at the University at Buffalo and senior coauthor of the study in the journal Cell Reports. We believe our vaccine candidate has the potential to improve upon this by inducing stronger and broader immunity, and reducing the likelihood of illness and death.

Conventional flu vaccines contain either deactivated microbes that cause influenza, or they are based on weakened forms of the disease. They are made using fertilized chicken eggs or, less commonly, through cell culture-based production.

The vaccine the research team is developing is based on a nanoliposomea tiny spherical sacthat Lovell and colleagues created called cobalt-porphyrin-phospholipid, or CoPoP. The CoPoP platform enables immune response promoting proteins to be displayed on the surface of the nanoliposome, resulting in potent vaccine efficacy.

Alone, these nanoliposomes do not fight disease. But when combined with recombinant influenza proteins that can be generated based on genetic information from viruses, they enhance the immune systems response to disease.

In the new study, the team attached to the nanoliposome a total of six proteinsthree each from two different protein groups, hemagglutinins and neuraminidases. They also added two adjuvants (PHAD and QS21) to boost immune response.

Researchers evaluated the resulting hexaplex nanoliposome in animal models with three common flu strains: H1N1, H3N2, and type B.

Even when administered in low doses, the hexaplex nanoliposome provided superior protection and survival from H1 and N1 when compared to Flublok, which is the sole licensed recombinant influenza vaccine in the US, and Fluaid, an egg-based vaccine. Tests showed comparable levels of protection against H3N2 and type B viruses.

The tests were performed via vaccination and through blood serum transfer from vaccinated mice into non-vaccinated mice.

The combination of the two groups of proteins led to synergistic effects. In particular, the adjuvanted nanoliposomes excelled in the production of functional antibodies and the activation of T cells, which are critical to fighting off serious infection of the flu, says lead author Zachary Sia, a PhD candidate in Lovells lab.

Bruce Davidson, a research associate professor of anesthesiology in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, is a senior coauthor of the study.

He says using not only hemagglutinin but also neuraminidase antigens to create vaccines is important because it translates into broader immunity and companies will be able to create more doses with less materials. Thats critical for not only the flu but also potential outbreaks like what we saw with COVID-19. There is still much work to be done in fully testing and validating this flu technology, but at this point these early results are quite promising.

Additional coauthors are from the University at Buffalo and McGill University.

While not part of this study, the CoPoP vaccine platform underwent phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials in South Korea and the Philippines as a COVID-19 vaccine candidate. This is a partnership between UB spinoff company POP Biotechnologies, cofounded by Lovell, and South Korean biotech company EuBiologics.

The researchers have filed patents with The Research Foundation for the State University of New York. Lovell and coauthor Wei-Chiao Huang, postdoctoral scholar in Lovells lab, are employed by POP Biotechnologies.

The National Institutes of Health funded the work.

Source: University at Buffalo

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Vaccine in development could offer better flu protection - Futurity: Research News