Meeting of Influenza Vaccine and Diagnostic Strains Committee, March 3, 2011

March 3, 2011 — Meeting of Influenza Vaccine and Diagnostic Strains Committee took place at the RII. The members of the Committee discussed the latest WHO recommendations on the composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2011–2012 northern hemisphere influenza season and current influenza epidemic situation in Russia, including antigenic and genetic characteristics of circulating influenza viruses. It was decided:

1. To recommend the inclusion of the following strains into live and inactivated influenza vaccines and diagnostic reagents:
   
   
   • an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)–like virus;
   • an A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)–like virus;
   • a B/Brisbane/60/2008–like virus.
   
   
2. To recommend influenza B strain of Yamagata lineage (as a reserve virus) to be included into inactivated influenza vaccines.
   
   
3. To recommend the development of live influenza B vaccine strain of Yamagata lineage (as a reserve virus).