The World Health Organisation (WHO) makes annual recommendations on the compositions of influenza vaccines for each hemisphere. These are based on the available data on the antigenic and genetic characteristics of recently circulating viruses and antibody responses to recent vaccines.

The recommendations from each WHO meeting are given below.

September 2022

In September 2022, the WHO recommended that quadrivalent influenza vaccines in use for the southern hemisphere winter 2023 influenza season contain:

For egg-based vaccines 

  • an A/Sydney/5/2021 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus,
  • an A/Darwin/9/2021 (H3N2)-like virus,
  • a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus, and
  • a B/Phuket/3073/2013 (B/Yamagata lineage)-like virus.

For cell- or recombinant-based vaccines

  • an A/Sydney/5/2021 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus,
  • an A/Darwin/6/2021 (H3N2)-like virus, 
  • a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus, and
  • a B/Phuket/3073/2013 (B/Yamagata lineage)-like virus.

It was recommended that trivalent influenza vaccines for use in the 2023 southern hemisphere influenza season contain the following:

For egg-based vaccines

  • an A/Sydney/5/2021 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus,
  • an A/Darwin/9/2021 (H3N2)-like virus, and
  • a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus.

For cell- or recombinant-based vaccines

  • A/Sydney/5/2021 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus,
  • an A/Darwin/6/2021 (H3N2)-like virus, and
  • a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus.

The recommendation has been published on the WHO website and will be published in the Weekly Epidemiological Record
 

February 2022

In February 2022, the WHO recommended that quadrivalent influenza vaccines in use for the northern hemisphere winter 2022/2023 influenza season contain:

For egg-based vaccines 

  • an A/Victoria/2570/2019 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus,
  • an A/Darwin/9/2021 (H3N2)-like virus,
  • a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus, and
  • a B/Phuket/3073/2013 (B/Yamagata lineage)-like virus.

For cell- or recombinant-based vaccines

  • an A/Wisconsin/588/2019 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus,
  • an A/Darwin/6/2021 (H3N2)-like virus, 
  • a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus, and
  • a B/Phuket/3073/2013 (B/Yamagata lineage)-like virus.

It was recommended that trivalent influenza vaccines for use in the 2022/2023 northern hemisphere influenza season contain the following:

For egg-based vaccines

  • an A/Victoria/2570/2019 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus,
  • an A/Darwin/9/2021 (H3N2)-like virus, and
  • a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus.

For cell- or recombinant-based vaccines

  • an A/Wisconsin/588/2019 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus,
  • an A/Darwin/6/2021 (H3N2)-like virus, and
  • a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus.

The recommendation has been published on the WHO website and has been published in the Weekly Epidemiological Record vol. 97, 109-132.
 

September 2021

In September 2021, the WHO recommended that quadrivalent influenza vaccines in use for the southern hemisphere influenza season 2022 contain:

For egg-based vaccines

  • an A/Victoria/2570/2019 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus,
  • an A/Darwin/9/2021 (H3N2)-like virus,
  • a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus, and
  • a B/Phuket/3073/2013 (B/Yamagata lineage)-like virus.

For cell- or recombinant-based vaccines

  • an A/Wisconsin/588/2019 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus,
  • an A/Darwin/6/2021 (H3N2)-like virus, 
  • a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus, and
  • a B/Phuket/3073/2013 (B/Yamagata lineage)-like virus.

It was recommended that trivalent influenza vaccines for use in the 2022 southern hemisphere influenza season contain the following:

For egg-based vaccines

  • an A/Victoria/2570/2019 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus,
  • an A/Darwin/9/2021 (H3N2)-like virus, and
  • a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus.

For cell- or recombinant-based vaccines

  • an A/Wisconsin/588/2019 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus,
  • an A/Darwin/6/2021 (H3N2)-like virus, and
  • a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus.

The recommendation has been published on the WHO website and has been published in the Weekly Epidemiological Record vol. 42, 509-520.

 

February 2021

In February 2021, the WHO recommended that quadrivalent influenza vaccines in use for the influenza season (northern hemisphere winter 2021/2022) contain:

For egg-based vaccines

  • an A/Victoria/2570/2019 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus,
  • an A/Cambodia/e0826360/2020 (H3N2)-like virus,
  • a B/Washington/02/2019 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus, and
  • a B/Phuket/3073/2013 (B/Yamagata lineage)-like virus.

For cell- or recombinant-based vaccines

  • an A/Wisconsin/588/2019 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus,
  • an A/Cambodia/e0826360/2020 (H3N2)-like virus,
  • a B/Washington/02/2019 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus, and
  • a B/Phuket/3073/2013 (B/Yamagata lineage)-like virus.

It was recommended that trivalent influenza vaccines for use in the 2021/2022 northern hemisphere influenza season contain the following:

For egg-based vaccine

  • an A/Victoria/2570/2019 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus,
  • an A/Cambodia/e0826360/2020 (H3N2)-like virus, and
  • a B/Washington/02/2019 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus.

for cell- or recombinant-based vaccines

  • an A/Wisconsin/588/2019 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus,
  • an A/Cambodia/e0826360/2020 (H3N2)-like virus, and
  • a B/Washington/02/2019 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus.

The recommendation has been published on the WHO website and has been published in the Weekly Epidemiological Record vol 96, pp 77-88.

Earlier recommendations