New seasonal vaccine to contain pandemic H1N1 strain (AlertNet, edited)

[Giuseppe]

New seasonal vaccine to contain pandemic H1N1 strain (AlertNet, edited)

New seasonal vaccine to contain pandemic H1N1 strain

18 Feb 2010 09:56:41 GMT
Source: Reuters
GENEVA, Feb 18 (Reuters)


Vaccine experts recommended on Thursday that the coming year's seasonal flu vaccine in the northern hemisphere contain three strains, including the pandemic H1N1 virus, officials said.

The composition of the vaccine, announced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) after a meeting of influenza experts, means governments that have stockpiled doses of H1N1 swine flu vaccine may now use them for part of the seasonal flu vaccine mix. The other strains are H3N2 and B influenza.

WHO top influenza expert Keiji Fukuda told Reuters that national health regulatory authorities would have the final say on whether to combine the three strains into a single trivalent shot or have separate monovalent vaccines administered.

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Jonathan Lynn)
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<cite cite="http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/WLB7821.htm">Reuters AlertNet - New seasonal vaccine to contain pandemic H1N1 strain</cite>

[heavenforever]

Re: New seasonal vaccine to contain pandemic H1N1 strain (AlertNet, edited)

Surely this will be useless if the next wave(s) contain D225G/N?????

[gsgs]

Re: New seasonal vaccine to contain pandemic H1N1 strain (AlertNet, edited)

no H3N2 around

[Missouriwatcher]

Re: New seasonal vaccine to contain pandemic H1N1 strain (AlertNet, edited)

Recommended viruses for influenza vaccines for use in the 2010-2011 northern hemisphere influenza season

It is recommended that the following viruses be used for influenza vaccines in the 2010-2011 influenza season (northern hemisphere):

? an an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like virus;
? an an A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like virus;*
? a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.

* A/Wisconsin/15/2009 is an A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like virus and is a 2010 southern hemisphere vaccine virus.

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/recommendations2010_11north/en/index.html

[sharon sanders]

Re: New seasonal vaccine to contain pandemic H1N1 strain (AlertNet, edited)

What does "like virus" mean? Does it mean a recent seed strain containing mutations/changes/resassortments/recombinates in the virus?

[mixin]

Re: New seasonal vaccine to contain pandemic H1N1 strain (AlertNet, edited)

Sharon, that's a good question. I've been curious if they will use this one: * A/OCONUS6/18529/2009: had a 4-fold reduction in hemagglutination inhibition (data from CDC) and will be a WHO reference strain (under a different strain number)

[gsgs]

Re: New seasonal vaccine to contain pandemic H1N1 strain (AlertNet, edited)

only HA, (and a little NA ?) not whole virus.
For growth they take the inner segments from PR/34 (?)


there were problems with growth last year, I think they included some synonymous mutations
to increase growth

[alert]

Re: New seasonal vaccine to contain pandemic H1N1 strain (AlertNet, edited)

Sharon, that's a good question. I've been curious if they will use this one: * A/OCONUS6/18529/2009: had a 4-fold reduction in hemagglutination inhibition (data from CDC) and will be a WHO reference strain (under a different strain number)

There is no reason to include that virus in the vaccine. That was a single detection of a bizarre virus with large (1.8&#37 changes in HA. Since it low reacted to the current vaccine target, the vast majority of ciruclating Pandemic H1N1 would likely low react to it.

If such a virus was found repeatedly, then there would be an issue about including it, but no other simliar viruses have been reported yet.

[mixin]

Re: New seasonal vaccine to contain pandemic H1N1 strain (AlertNet, edited)

Thanks Alert.

I don't have a clue regarding the designation of a "reference" strain. I assumed it must have some importance, other than just a maverick sequence, for the WHO to give it that designation.

[sharon sanders]

Re: New seasonal vaccine to contain pandemic H1N1 strain (AlertNet, edited)

I just spoke to someone from WHO and they told me that "like" means like. The final vaccine strain that is "like" California '09 (H1N1) has not been chosen yet.

[heavenforever]

Re: New seasonal vaccine to contain pandemic H1N1 strain (AlertNet, edited)

Ok, from my understanding, that leaves it open to interpretation? Correct me if I am wrong, if D225G/N cases continue to grow that mutation would be used in the upcoming 2010/2011 seasonal vaccine? Sorry for the questions but trying to get an understanding of what they mean.

[alert]

Re: New seasonal vaccine to contain pandemic H1N1 strain (AlertNet, edited)

I don't know whether D225G/N is even an issue here. The issue is low reactors, whatever their cause. If the number of low reactors tends to increase, and if they don't low react against each other even worse (which I think the low reactors found so far very well may judging by the varied mutations), then they might opt for one of the "low reactors".

Keep in mind that if viruses B and C are both different single switches from reference virus A, then B and C have two letters different from each other, so that C is farther from B than it is from A.

[sharon sanders]

Re: New seasonal vaccine to contain pandemic H1N1 strain (AlertNet, edited)

Ok, from my understanding, that leaves it open to interpretation? Correct me if I am wrong, if D225G/N cases continue to grow that mutation would be used in the upcoming 2010/2011 seasonal vaccine? Sorry for the questions but trying to get an understanding of what they mean.

They are going to pick a strain that will protect people from A/H1N1.

[heavenforever]

Re: New seasonal vaccine to contain pandemic H1N1 strain (AlertNet, edited)

Thank-you