CONSUMER RELEASE – EMBARGO 3 APRIL 2024
At-risk Australians now have access to
a cell-based flu vaccine on the
National Immunisation Program
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Flucelvax® QUAD, manufactured by Australia’s CSL Seqirus, is now available on the National Immunisation Program (NIP) for eligible five to 64 years old Australians.1
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Flucelvax QUAD is the first and only cell-based influenza vaccine available in Australia, approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for use in adults and children aged six months and older.2
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Ongoing seasonal circulation of influenza is expected to continue, which means vulnerable groups remain at high risk of severe outcomes from influenza.3
EMBARGO: Sydney, 3 April 2024
A cell-based flu vaccine, Flucelvax® QUAD [quadrivalent influenza vaccine (surface antigen, inactivated, prepared in cell cultures)], developed and manufactured by Australian company CSL Seqirus, is now available on the National Immunisation Program (NIP) for the first time to protect at-risk Australians from influenza (flu).
Cell-based flu vaccines like Flucelvax QUAD are a significant innovation in flu vaccine manufacturing. They are designed to match the virus strains likely to be prevalent for the upcoming flu season, as determined by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Flucelvax QUAD is now available for free via the NIP to eligible Australians at higher risk of complications from flu, including:
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples aged five to 64 years of age
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pregnant women
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people aged five to 64 years old with co-existing medical conditions, including:
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cardiac disease
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chronic respiratory conditions
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chronic neurological conditions
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immunocompromising conditions
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diabetes and other metabolic disorders
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chronic renal failure
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functional or anatomical asplenia
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long-term aspirin therapy in children aged 5 to 10 years.1
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Influenza can be a serious disease and continues to return to pre-COVID levels of circulation. In 2023, there were close to 300,000 influenza cases, 3,696 hospitalisations and at least 376 flu-related deaths reported across Australia.4,5 Modelling suggests the true burden of flu may be much higher than reported.6
According to infectious diseases expert, Professor Robert Booy, access to Flucelvax QUAD via the NIP for the upcoming flu season is welcome news for the wider community.
“Seasonal circulation of influenza is expected to continue, which means vulnerable groups remain at high risk of infection and potentially life-threatening complications.
“Being able to offer a cell-based influenza vaccine to vulnerable patients on the NIP gives GPs, and now pharmacists, an important option for protection against the virus, which ultimately enables more Australians to be prepared for flu season,” commented Professor Booy.
“Research indicates that 50 per cent of Australians consider flu to be very serious and people can die from it.7 Yet in 2023, only about 25% of the population aged five to 64 years were vaccinated against influenza.5 With coverage like that, there’s certainly a strong chance that many vulnerable Australians are not getting vaccinated against influenza.”
Dr Julianne Bayliss, Vaccines Medical Director at CSL Seqirus says influenza vaccination is incredibly important to help take pressure off the healthcare system.
“As an Australian company, we’re proud to help make Flucelvax available to the most vulnerable people in our community.
“For more than 100 years, CSL has been manufacturing flu vaccines in Australia for Australians, and it’s exciting to now have this groundbreaking technology on the public program,” said Dr Bayliss.
"Flucelvax QUAD will be proudly produced in Australia from 2027, after our world-class, cell-based vaccine manufacturing facility in Melbourne comes online. This reinforces our commitment to public health and vaccine innovation."
Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all Australians six months of age and older.3
You can access VNR footage here featuring interviews with Professor Booy and Dr Julianne Bayliss, as well as b-roll footage of patient vaccination and the upcoming world-class manufacturing facility in Tullamarine.
ENDS
MEDIA CONTACT
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Roberta Sowden |
Hamish Walsh CSL Seqirus 0422 424 338 [email protected] |
REFERENCES
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Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) meeting outcomes September 2022 PBAC Intracycle meeting. Available from: https://www.pbs.gov.au/industry/listing/elements/pbac-meetings/pbac-outcomes/2022-09/September-2022-PBAC-Web-Outcomes-v2.pdf
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Flucelvax Product Information
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Australian Government. Department of Health and Aged Care. Immunisation Handbook. Available from: https://immunisationhandbook.health.gov.au/contents/vaccine-preventable-diseases/influenza-flu#overview
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Australian Government. Department of Health and Aged Care. National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System. Available from: https://nindss.health.gov.au/pbi-dashboard/
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Australian Government. Department of Health and Aged Care. Australian Influenza Surveillance Report – 2023 End of Season Summary. Available from: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/aisr-2023-national-influenza-season-summary?language=en
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Muscatello, D et al. Vaccine vol. 39,52 (2021): 7578-7583. Accessed March 2023
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Australian Attitudes to Influenza Index. Conducted by YouGov on behalf of CSL Seqirus. Fieldwork was undertaken between 11th - 16th January 2024.
About the survey
This survey was conducted by YouGov on behalf of CSL Seqirus. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1003 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 11th - 16th January 2024. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of Australian adults (aged 18+).
About CSL Seqirus
CSL Seqirus is part of CSL Limited (ASX: CSL). As one of the largest influenza vaccine providers in the world, CSL Seqirus is a major contributor to the prevention of influenza globally and a transcontinental partner in pandemic preparedness. With state-of-the-art production facilities in the U.S., the U.K. and Australia, and leading R&D capabilities, CSL Seqirus utilizes egg, cell and adjuvant technologies to offer a broad portfolio of differentiated influenza vaccines in more than 20 countries around the world.
In Australia, CSL Seqirus operates the only local manufacturing facility for seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccine, and produces a range of unique medicines in the national interest, including antivenoms and the world’s only human vaccine for Q fever. The company also in-licenses a broad range of paediatric and adult vaccines and specialty pharmaceutical products.
About CSL
CSL (ASX: CSL; USOTC: CSLLY) is a leading global biotechnology company with a dynamic portfolio of lifesaving medicines, including those that treat haemophilia and immune deficiencies, as well as vaccines to prevent influenza. Since our start in 1916, we have been driven by our promise to save lives using the latest technologies. Today, CSL – including our three businesses, CSL Behring, CSL Seqirus and CSL Vifor – provides lifesaving products to patients in more than 100 countries and employs 30,000 people. Our unique combination of commercial strength, R&D focus and operational excellence enables us to identify, develop and deliver innovations so our patients can live life to the fullest. For inspiring stories about the promise of biotechnology, visit CSLBehring.com/Vita and follow us on Twitter.com/CSL.
For more information about CSL, visit www.csl.com.
Intended Audience
This press release is issued from CSL Seqirus in Melbourne, Victoria and is intended to provide information to consumer media. Please be aware that information relating to the approval status and labels of approved CSL Seqirus products may vary from country to country. Please consult your local regulatory authority on the approval status of Seqirus products.