Human Influenza Vaccine Composition

21 February 2019 (updated on 21 March 2019)

Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2019-2020 northern hemisphere influenza season. It is recommended that egg based quadrivalent vaccines for use in the 2019-2020 northern hemisphere influenza season contain the following:

    an A/Brisbane/02/2018 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
    an A/Kansas/14/2017 (H3N2)-like virus;*
    a B/Colorado/06/2017-like virus (B/Victoria/2/87 lineage); and
    a B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus (B/Yamagata/16/88 lineage).

It is recommended that the influenza B virus component of trivalent vaccines for use in the 2019-2020 northern hemisphere influenza season be a B/Colorado/06/2017-like virus of the B/Victoria/2/87-lineage.

* The A(H3N2) component was recommended on 21 March 2019.

Source: World Health Organization

27 September 2018

Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2018 Southern Hemisphere influenza season. It is recommended that egg based quadrivalent vaccines for use in the 2019 Southern Hemisphere influenza season contain the following:

    an A/Michigan/45/2015 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
    an A/Switzerland/8060/2017 (H3N2)-like virus;
    a B/Colorado/06/2017-like virus (B/Victoria/2/87 lineage); and
    a B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus (B/Yamagata/16/88 lineage).

It is recommended that egg based trivalent vaccines for use in the 2019 Southern Hemisphere influenza season contain the following:

     an A/Michigan/45/2015 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
     an A/Switzerland/8060/2017 (H3N2)-like virus; and
     a B/Colorado/06/2017-like virus (B/Victoria/2/87 lineage).  

It is recommended that the A(H3N2) component of non-egg based vaccines for use in the 2019 Southern Hemisphere influenza season be an A/Singapore/INFIMH-16-0019/2016-like virus together with the other vaccine components as indicated above.

Source: World Health Organization

22 February 2018

Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2018-2019 Northern Hemisphere influenza season. It is recommended that quadrivalent vaccines for use in the 2018-2019 northern hemisphere influenza season contain the following:

    an A/Michigan/45/2015 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
    an A/Singapore/INFIMH-16-0019/2016 (H3N2)-like virus;
    a B/Colorado/06/2017-like virus (B/Victoria/2/87 lineage); and
    a B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus (B/Yamagata/16/88 lineage).

It is recommended that the influenza B virus component of trivalent vaccines for use in the 2018-2019 northern hemisphere influenza season be a B/Colorado/06/2017-like virus of the B/Victoria/2/87-lineage.

Source: World Health Organization

28 September 2017

Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2018 Southern Hemisphere influenza season. It is recommended that trivalent vaccines for use in the 2018 influenza season (Southern Hemisphere winter) contain the following:

    an A/Michigan/45/2015 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
    an A/Singapore/INFIMH-16-0019/2016 (H3N2)-like virus;
    a B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus.

It is recommended that quadrivalent vaccines containing two influenza B viruses contain the above three viruses and a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.

Source: World Health Organization

2 March 2017

Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2017-2018 Northern Hemisphere influenza season. It is recommended that trivalent vaccines for use in the 2017-2018 northern hemisphere influenza season contain the following:

    an A/Michigan/45/2015 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
    an A/Hong Kong/4801/2014 (H3N2)-like virus;
    a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.

It is recommended that quadrivalent vaccines containing two influenza B viruses contain the above three viruses and a B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus.

Source: World Health Organization

29 September 2016

Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2017 Southern Hemisphere influenza season. It is recommended that trivalent vaccines for use in the 2017 influenza season (Southern Hemisphere winter) contain the following:

    an A/Michigan/45/2015 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
    an A/Hong Kong/4801/2014 (H3N2)-like virus;
    a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.

It is recommended that quadrivalent vaccines containing two influenza B viruses contain the above three viruses and a B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus.

Source: World Health Organization

25 February 2016

Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2016-2017 Northern Hemisphere influenza season. It is recommended that trivalent vaccines for use in the 2016-2017 influenza season (Northern Hemisphere winter) contain the following:

    an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus; e.g. EPI_ISL/30485
    an A/Hong Kong/4801/2014 (H3N2)-like virus;
    a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.

It is recommended that quadrivalent vaccines containing two influenza B viruses contain the above three viruses and a B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus.

Source: World Health Organization

24 September 2015

Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2016 Southern Hemisphere influenza season. It is recommended that trivalent vaccines for use in the 2016 influenza season (Southern Hemisphere winter) contain the following:

    an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
    an A/Hong Kong/4801/2014 (H3N2)-like virus;
    a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.

It is recommended that quadrivalent vaccines containing two influenza B viruses contain the above three viruses and a B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus.

Source: World Health Organization

26 February 2015

Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2015-2016 Northern Hemisphere influenza season. It is recommended that trivalent vaccines for use in the 2015-2016 influenza season (Northern Hemisphere winter) contain the following:

    an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
    an A/Switzerland/9715293/2013 (H3N2)-like virus;
    a B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus.

It is recommended that quadrivalent vaccines containing two influenza B viruses contain the above three viruses and a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.

Source: World Health Organization

25 September 2014

Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2015 Southern Hemisphere influenza season. It is recommended that trivalent vaccines for use in the 2015 influenza season (Southern Hemisphere winter) contain the following:

    an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
    an A/Switzerland/9715293/2013 (H3N2)-like virusa;
    a B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus.

It is recommended that quadrivalent vaccines containing two influenza B viruses contain the above three viruses and a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.

^aA/South Australia/55/2014, A/Norway/466/2014 and A/Stockholm/6/2014 are A/Switzerland/9715293/2013-like viruses

Source: World Health Organization

20 February 2014

Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2014-2015 Northern Hemisphere influenza season. It is recommended that trivalent vaccines for use in the 2014-2015 influenza season (Northern Hemisphere winter) contain the following:

    an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
    an A/Texas/50/2012 (H3N2)-like virus;
    a B/Massachusetts/2/2012-like virus.

It is recommended that quadrivalent vaccines containing two influenza B viruses contain the above three viruses and a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.

Source: World Health Organization

26 September 2013

Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2014 Southern Hemisphere influenza season. It is recommended that trivalent vaccines for use in the 2014 influenza season (Southern Hemisphere winter) contain the following:

    an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like virusa;
    an A/Texas/50/2012 (H3N2)-like virusb*;
    a B/Massachusetts/2/2012-like virus.

It is recommended that quadrivalent vaccines containing two influenza B viruses contain the above three viruses and a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.

^aA/Christchurch/16/2010 is an A/California/7/2009-like virus.
^bA/Texas/50/2012 is an A(H3N2) virus that following adaptation to growth in eggs has maintained antigenic properties similar to the majority of recently circulating cell-propagated A(H3N2) viruses including A/Victoria/361/2011.

Source: World Health Organization

21 February 2013

Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2013-14 Northern Hemisphere influenza season. It is recommended that trivalent vaccines for use in the 2013-14 influenza season (northern hemisphere winter) contain the following:

    an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like virusa;
    an A(H3N2) virus antigenically like the cell-propagated prototype virus A/Victoria/361/2011b*;
    a B/Massachusetts/2/2012-like virus.

It is recommended that quadrivalent vaccines containing two influenza B viruses contain the above three viruses and a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virusc.

^aA/Christchurch/16/2010 is an A/California/7/2009-like virus;
^bA/Texas/50/2012 is an A(H3N2) virus antigenically like the cell-propagated prototype virus A/Victoria/361/2011;
^cB/Brisbane/33/2008 is a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.

* It is recommended that A/Texas/50/2012 is used as the A(H3N2) vaccine component because of antigenic changes in earlier A/Victoria/361/2011-like vaccine viruses (such as IVR-165) resulting from adaptation to propagation in eggs.

Source: World Health Organization

20 September 2012

Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2013 Southern Hemisphere influenza season. It is recommended that trivalent vaccines for use in the 2013 influenza season (Southern Hemisphere winter) contain the following:

    an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus *;
    an A/Victoria/361/2011 (H3N2)-like virus **;
    a B/Wisconsin/1/2010-like virus ***;

It is recommended that quadrivalent vaccines containing two influenza B viruses contain the above three viruses and a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus ****.

* A/Christchurch/16/2010 is an A/California/7/2009-like virus;
** A/Ohio/2/2012, A/Maryland/2/2012, A/South Australia/30/2012, A/Brisbane/1/2012 and A/Brisbane/6/2012 are A/Victoria/361/2011-like viruses;
*** B/Hubei-Wujiagang/158/2009 and B/Texas/6/2011 are B/Wisconsin/1/2010-like viruses;
**** B/Brisbane/33/2008 is a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.

Source: World Health Organization

23 February 2012

Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2012-2013 Northern Hemisphere influenza season. It is recommended that vaccines for use in the 2012-2013 influenza season (Northern Hemisphere winter) contain the following:

    an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
    an A/Victoria/361/2011 (H3N2)-like virus;
    a B/Wisconsin/1/2010-like virus.

Source: World Health Organization

Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2012 Southern Hemisphere influenza season. It is recommended that vaccines for use in the 2012 influenza season (Southern Hemisphere) contain the following:    an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;    an A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like virus;    a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.

Source: World Health Organization

Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2011-2012 Northern Hemisphere influenza season. It is recommended that vaccines for use in the 2011-2012 influenza season (Northern Hemisphere) contain the following:   

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

Source: World Health Organization

Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2011 Southern Hemisphere influenza season. It is recommended that vaccines for use in the 2011 influenza season (Southern Hemisphere winter) contain the following:

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

* A/Wisconsin/15/2009 and A/Victoria/210/2009 are A/Perth/16/2009-like viruses.

Source: World Health Organization

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 A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like virus;
  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.

Source: World Health Organization