Table of Contents
SWIFTWATER, Pa. – Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccine division of Sanofi has shipped the first of its nearly 70 million flu vaccine doses to health care providers for the upcoming flu season. This year’s supply uses both egg-based and recombinant technologies, and includes increased production of Flublok Quadrivalent vaccine and Fluzone High-Dose vaccine, as well as continued supply of Fluzone Quadrivalent (Influenza Vaccine).
The latest addition to Sanofi Pasteur’s flu vaccine offerings is Flublok Quadrivalent vaccine, which will be available to more providers across the country compared to previous seasons.
“This past flu season was a stark reminder of how unpredictable flu can be. It is important to get vaccinated even if vaccine effectiveness is lower than we would like. Vaccination saves many lives, helps prevent numerous hospitalizations, and helps protect individuals and the public at large from severe, life-threatening complications,” said Dr. David Greenberg, associate vice president and regional medical head North America, Sanofi Pasteur. “We are proud that in recent years we have introduced two vaccines proven to help prevent more flu than their respective standard-dose flu vaccine comparators in older adults. We are dedicated to continuing to find new ways to improve flu vaccines, particularly for those most impacted every year.”
Improved Flu Vaccines to Help Protect Most Vulnerable Groups
Fluzone High-Dose vaccine: The first and only flu vaccine shown to have superior efficacy compared to Fluzone vaccine in helping to protect against the flu in adults 65 years of age and older (24.2% more effective). In additional studies, Fluzone High-Dose vaccine has also been shown to be more effective at preventing flu-like illness and flu-associated hospitalizations, pneumonia and cardiorespiratory events in older adults, compared to standard-dose flu vaccine. Sanofi Pasteur anticipates that two-thirds of all adults 65 years of age and older who will get a flu shot in the United States will receive Fluzone High-Dose vaccine.
Flublok Quadrivalent vaccine: Indicated for adults 18 years of age and older, and proven to help prevent more cases of flu in people 50 years of age and older compared to standard-dose quadrivalent inactivated flu vaccine (30 to 43% more protection). Flublok Quadrivalent vaccine is the only recombinant protein-based flu vaccine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), uniquely providing an exact genetic match of hemagglutinin (HA) from each recommended vaccine virus. HA is the protein identified as key to stimulating immunity to the flu.
Fluzone Quadrivalent vaccine: Helps protect against four flu strains (two A strains and two B strains) and was the first four-strain flu vaccine licensed for use in people 6 months of age and older.
Sanofi Pasteur is the nation’s largest supplier of flu vaccines for people 6 months of age and older, including the only two flu vaccines proven to help prevent more flu cases in older adults, compared to their standard-dose flu vaccine comparators.
