CSL Seqirus inks deal with UK government for 100m flu shots to prepare against pandemic threat

Most people would groan at the thought of a future pandemic, but governments are determined not be caught out again, with the UK striking a new deal with CSL.

The Beatles will not be the only big thing to come out of Liverpool, with CSL’s vaccine arm supplying the UK government with potentially more than 100 million flu shots from its factory in the north of England.

CSL Seqirus has signed an agreement with the UK government to develop and supply pandemic influenza vaccines ahead of this year’s northern hemisphere respiratory virus season.

The deal comes as CSL’s shares eased 2.1 per cent to $250.24 in morning trade on Wednesday, giving it a market value of $121bn.

Under the terms of the UK agreement, Downing St has the option to buy more than 100 million doses of flu vaccines if an influenza pandemic is declared. Governments around the world have been eager to stock up on shots for a range of respiratory viruses after being caught off guard during the Covid-19 pandemic and forced to cobble together a range of deals to protect their citizens.

CSL is already working with the US government to provide stockpiles of avian influenza shots in the event of a bird flu pandemic. Meanwhile, smaller rival Moderna has signed a 10-year deal with the Australian government to produced mRNA-based vaccines in Melbourne from 2025.

While many people would groan at the thought of a pandemic so soon after Covid-19, coronavirus-enforced restrictions, including mandatory isolation and mask wearing, has suppressed influenza cases, fuelling fears of a potential spike in infections as more people begin travelling and socialising again

Marc Lacey, CSL Seqirus global executive director for pandemic, said the UK agreement would enable a “rapid response for this potential future threat”.

“CSL Seqirus is a global leader in pandemic influenza preparedness, and we’re pleased the UK government will continue to partner with us in preparing to provide protection against the potential of a flu pandemic,” Mr Lacey said.

“Pandemics are a natural phenomenon. They are the result of a new pathogen emerging and spreading around the world and have occurred at infrequent and unpredictable intervals throughout human history, presenting a real and serious risk to public health. There have been four influenza pandemics since 1918, highlighting the need for vigilance and preparedness.”

Mr Lacey said the vaccines would be entirely manufactured in the UK at CSL Seqirus’s Liverpool factory – one of the biggest sites in Europe to manufacture seasonal influenza vaccines.

He said globally, governments and health authorities are concerned by the recent and persistent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses among wild and farmed birds, as well as commercial poultry – reported in the UK, North America, and South America – which have also led to widely reported mammalian spill-over infections.

While the risk assessments by the UK authorities continue to highlight limited mammalian transmission and the risk to the general public is considered to be low.

Nige Hilton, CSL Seqirus vice president of manufacturing and site head, said: “Our year-round operation of the seasonal influenza vaccines manufacturing site in Liverpool provides a critical foundation for pandemic preparedness.”

“We recently opened a high-speed fill-and-finish facility at Liverpool, which enables us to complete the entire start-to-end vaccine manufacturing process in the UK – providing onshore supply security in the event of a pandemic.”