Two pharmaceutical companies — Sanofi Pasteur and Sequirus — have begun shipments of their 2017-2018 influenza vaccinations to the United States in advance of the flu season, according to company announcements.
Sanofi Pasteur is the vaccines division of Sanofi. Its first doses of the Fluzone (influenza vaccine) portfolio, including:
- Fluzone High-Dose vaccine: the first influenza vaccine designed specifically for people 65 years of age and older;
- Fluzone Quadrivalent vaccine: helps protect against four influenza strains (two A strains and two B strains) and is the first four-strain influenza vaccine licensed for use in people six months of age and older;
- Fluzone Intradermal Quadrivalent vaccine: the first intradermal influenza vaccine for adults 18-64 years of age, offers four-strain protection using a 90% smaller, 1.5 mm microneedle.
Meanwhile, Sequirus has shipped the first units of its own flu vaccine to the United States, including:
- Fluad Influenza Vaccine, Adjuvanted: the only adjuvanted seasonal influenza vaccine specifically developed for people aged 65 and older;
- Flucelvax Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine: the first cell-based seasonal influenza vaccine licensed in the US.
- Afluria Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine: an egg-based quadrivalent influenza vaccine;
- Afluria Influenza Vaccine and Fluvirin Influenza Virus Vaccine: egg-based trivalent influenza vaccine;
- Rapivab Peramivir Injection, the first-and-only one-dose intravenous antiviral treatment for acute influenza.
