AIVC decision on Influenza vaccine composition for Australia 2005 (New 7.10.04)

The meeting of the Australian Influenza Vaccine Committee (AIVC) on Influenza Vaccines was convened on 5th October 2003.

The committee considered information on international surveillance by WHO, recent data from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina on epidemiology and strain characterisation, and the recommendations of the WHO annual consultation on the composition of influenza vaccine for the Southern Hemisphere held in Okinawa 4-6 October.

The Committee agreed to adopt the September 2004 WHO recommendations. The influenza vaccine components for year 2005 Season should contain the following:

A (H1N1): an A/New Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1) - like strain, 15 礸 HA per dose
A (H3N2): an A/Wellington/1/2004 (H3N2) - like strain, 15 礸 HA per dose
B: a B/Shanghai/361/2002 - like strain, 15 礸 HA per dose

The following viruses are recommended as suitable vaccine strains:A/New Caledonia/20/99 (IVR-116)
A/Wellington/1/2004 (IVR-139) B/Jiangsu/10/2003.

The SRID reference standard reagents for A/New Caledonia/20/99 (IVR-116) and B/Jiangsu/10/2003 are available from NIBSC (UK). However, the preparation of A/Wellington/1/2004 (IVR-139) reagents is still in progress. It is estimated that A/Wellington/1/2004 (IVR-139) reagents will be available from TGA by the end of November, and it is anticipated that their calibration will be finalised by 13-17 December 2004.

For more information see http://www.tga.gov.au/committee/aivc2005.htm