What is the difference between seasonal influenza vaccines, “pre-pandemic” vaccines, and pandemic vaccines?
• Seasonal influenza vaccines refer to vaccines that are updated yearly and that protect against currently circulating influenza viruses. What is sometimes referred to as “pre-pandemic vaccines”, contain antigens that correspond to H5N1 influenza strains, as these are thought to be most likely to cause a pandemic. • Pandemic vaccine is a vaccine of the future with unknown antigenic composition. It will protect against the pandemic influenza strain but will only be available after the emerging virus of the next influenza pandemic has been isolated. Persons vaccinated may need a booster dose to be fully protected. Where do we stand in terms of developing an effective pandemic influenza vaccine? Several experimental vaccines have been shown by industry to induce the type of immune response in human volunteers which is thought to be protective. This being said, a definitive demonstration of efficacy can only be obtained when these vaccines are tested in a pandemic. One H5N1 influenza vacci
Related Questions
- Can the pandemic influenza vaccine be administered simultaneously with other vaccines? What about with the seasonal influenza vaccine?
- What is the difference between the seasonal influenza vaccine and the pandemic vaccine against influenza A (H1N1)v?
- What is a pandemic? What is the difference between seasonal influenza, avian influenza, and pandemic influenza?
