Lhe Directorate General of Health (DGS) communicated to health professionals the first organizational elements of the 2025-2026 flu vaccination campaign [1].
This next campaign will be based on trivalent vaccines, composed of the following strains :
- A(H1N1)pdm09
- A (H3N2)
- B/Victoria
Used for several years, tetravalent vaccines combining two types A and two types B are therefore excluded from the vaccination strategy against influenza, in accordance with the recommendations of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) [2].
These tetravalent vaccines contain the influenza virus strain B/Yamagata B. According to the EMA, this strain has no longer circulated since 2020 (not detected during the four recent years) and no longer poses a threat to public health. In addition, continuing to use a tetravalent vaccine containing this B/Yamagata strain exposes one to « risk of reintroduction of the lineage into humans via a reassortment ».
Based on these data and the opinions formulated by the World Health Organization (WHO), the EMA recommends for the 2025-2026 season a transition from quadrivalent vaccines to trivalents which do not include the B/Yamagata strain .
-While waiting for trivalent vaccines, pre-orders are open with tetravalent vaccines
As every year, pharmacists and the various structures involved in organizing the vaccination campaign among the population are invited to pre-order flu vaccines. Indeed, « lThe volume of pre-orders directly conditions the production of vaccines intended for the French market, thus ensuring adequate supply from the start of the campaign »insists the DGS. It therefore invites the professionals concerned to « pre-order vaccine doses in sufficient quantities to cover the needs deemed necessary and continue to improve the vaccination coverage rates of the populations targeted by the recommendations ».
Pre-order for the 2025-2026 season is open until March 31, 2025 from the Sanofi (VAXIGRIPTETRA), Seqirus (FLUCELVAX, not marketed in France in 2024) and Viatris (INFLUVAC TETRA) laboratories on the basis of tetravalent vaccines, in the meantime that trivalents obtain their marketing authorization (AMM) and reimbursement.
The final order will be made on the basis of the vaccins trivalents.
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