Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which companies supply flu vaccine to (a) his Department and (b) the NHS for (i) people over 65 years of age and (ii) children; and what proportion of those vaccines are supplied by each such company.
Public Health England centrally procures flu vaccines for the children’s national flu immunisation programme, these being the nasal spray Fluenz Tetra supplied by AstraZeneca and a quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine supplied by Sanofi Pasteur.
Flu vaccines for the adult programme are locally procured directly by providers (e.g. general practitioners and pharmacies). Details of all influenza vaccines available for the 2018/19 season, and the age indications are available in the following table. Seqirus supplies an influenza vaccine which is specifically for those 65 years of age and over (Fluad).
The volume of vaccines supplied by each pharmaceutical company is not available.
Influenza vaccines for the 2018-19 season
Supplier | Product details | Vaccine type | Age indications |
AstraZeneca UK Ltd | Fluenz Tetra | Live attenuated, nasal (quadrivalent) | From 24 months to less than 18 years of age |
GSK | Fluarix Tetra | Split virion inactivated virus (quadrivalent) | From six months |
MASTA | Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine (split virion, inactivated) | Split virion, inactivated virus | From six months |
Mylan (BGP Products) | Influvac sub-unit Imuvac Influenza vaccine MYL | Surface antigen, inactivated virus | From six months |
Quadrivalent Influenza vaccine Tetra MYL Quadrivalent Influvac sub-unit Tetra | Influenza virus surface antigen (inactivated) | From 18 years | |
Pfizer Vaccines | Influenza vaccine (Split Virion, inactivated), pre-filled syringe | Split virion, inactivated virus | From five years |
Sanofi Pasteur vaccines | Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine (split virion, inactivated) | Split virion, inactivated virus | From six months |
Seqirus UK Ltd | Fluad | Surface antigen, inactivated, Adjuvanted with MF59C.1 | 65 years of age and over |
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