Vaccines have been developed for humans to protect them against seasonal influenza. These seasonal influenza vaccine are given every year in the early autumn to protect people at higher risk of severe outcomes to their health if they are infected by seasonal viruses. The largest groups that these vaccines are offered to in Europe are older people and people of any age above six months of age with chronic medical conditions. Because the viruses are constantly changing the selection of viruses used for the vaccines are reviewed each year in February by a specialist group convened by WHO and based on this recommendations are made through regulatory bodies to those who produce the vaccines. Because there are three viruses circulating at present A(H3N2), A(H1N1) and the Influenza B viruses the vaccine has three components.

When the next pandemic comes scientists and industry will work to produce a specific pandemic vaccine to use against the new virus. However it will take some months for the vaccine to be developed and be produced in any amount.

Most recently there have started to become available human avian influenza viruses sometimes called ‘pre-pandemic vaccines’ based on the influenza A(H5N1) viruses that have occasionally infected humans. ECDC has worked with specialists and produced Scientific Opinions on these vaccines which could be useful to have if the next pandemic is based on an A(H5) virus. These publications are in the Scientific Publications for Influenza Vaccines.