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Vaccination for avian influenza

Seasonal vaccines

Seasonal influenza vaccines provide protection in vaccinated people against severe disease with seasonal influenza virus subtypes A(H1N1)pdm09 and A(H3N2) and lineages (B/Victoria, B/Yamagata). The vaccines lower the likelihood of coincidental dual infection by both a seasonal and an avian influenza virus, a prerequisite for reassortment between seasonal and animal influenza virus with the result of a newly composed virus.

In outbreak situations, vaccination with seasonal influenza virus vaccines might be a measure that comes too late as vaccine-related immunity takes a minimum time period of two weeks to be developed.

With the presence of year-round circulation of avian influenza viruses in wild birds and mammals, vaccination schedules need to be differently planned and targeted for potentially exposed groups (e.g. occupationally exposed groups) or individuals. These decisions should be taken by involving the occupational safety and health authorities.

In the EU/EEA, countries are responsible for the recommendations and deployment of vaccines. Some countries generally recommend seasonal influenza vaccination for occupationally exposed people and for other groups exposed to animals potentially infected with avian influenza. The aim is to reduce the likelihood of co-infection with zoonotic and seasonal influenza viruses.

More details about pandemic vaccines under development and antiviral medicines against influenza are available on the website of the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

H5 influenza virus vaccines for humans

Aflunov is currently the only vaccine authorised in humans against avian influenza (zoonotic pre-pandemic vaccine). It has a virus component of a previous, outdated virus clade and is an inactivated and adjuvanted H5N1 vaccine. You can find more information in the relevant EMA page.

The Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (HERA) department of the European Commission manages two joint procurement contracts of egg-based pandemic influenza vaccines for the EU countries. These are to be activated following the declaration of influenza pandemic by the WHO or if an influenza pandemic is declared a public health emergency at the level of the EU.

Candidate vaccine viruses for pandemic preparedness

The WHO lists Candidate vaccine viruses (CVV) which have been developed, are under development or proposed. A new H5 clade 2.3.4.4b virus CVV (A/American wigeon/South Carolina/22-000345-001/2021) has been proposed during the Vaccine Composition Meeting for the Northern Hemisphere in February 2023 that is antigenically more similar to the recently circulating avian influenza H5 viruses in the US.

There are no indications at the present time that currently circulating avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses in the EU/EEA in birds differ antigenically from developed candidate vaccine viruses of previously circulating A(H5) viruses in Europe.