Super flu vaccine gets the go-ahead

A new type of cell-based influenza vaccine is available this winter that promises to be much more effective than protein-based flu jabs grown in eggs.

CSL's vaccine arm Seqirus is producing a new cell-based flu vaccine.

A new type of cell-based influenza vaccine is available this winter that promises to be significantly more effective against circulating flu strains than the ordinary protein-based flu jabs grown in eggs.

The cell-based vaccine uses groundbreaking technology to closely match the vaccine to the circulating flu strains.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration has approved the new cell-based based vaccine, called FLUCELVAX® QUAD, and CSL’s vaccine arm Seqirus is building a major new manufacturing facility to enable it to produce the vaccine onshore.

The vaccine is grown in canine kidney cells inside bioreactors, and is closely matched to the strains of flu nominated each year by the World Health Organisation as the most commonly circulating strains.

The vaccine will eventually replace protein-based flu vaccines, which are grown in eggs. They have been the dominant technology for 75 years and are only on average 60 per cent effective. In a record flu season in 2017, the ordinary flu vaccine was only 33 per cent effective due to mutations during the production process that meant it was no longer a good match for the circulating strains.

When a vaccine is grown in eggs, the virus needs to adapt and mutate in order to be able to grow well inside the egg, making it less effective against circulating flu strains.

“What we’ve been doing with the egg-grown vaccine is producing a product that is a good copy but could be a better copy of what the wild virus influenza looks like,” said University of Sydney expert Robert Booy.

“By growing the virus in a mammalian cell line, you have several advantages: getting a ­better match to the circulating strains; the virus doesn’t have to adapt and mutate like it does in eggs; it can be grown more quickly; and there is less likelihood of bacterial contamination.”

The vaccine is grown in canine kidney cells harvested from a dog 60 years ago. “It’s an immortal cell line, which means it can be used over and over, replicating itself,” Professor Booy said.

CSL is building a new $800m factory in Tullamarine in Melbourne’s west where it can mass-produce the new vaccine.

Seqirus medical director Jonathan Anderson said cell-based flu vaccines had been used overseas since 2012 in eight countries including Britain, the US, Canada, Italy, Germany and Spain.

But the TGA has only just approved it for use in Australia for people aged over nine years.

“From our perspective, we’re investing in this cell-based technology as the future of influenza vaccines — that’s how we see it,” Dr Anderson said. “In our research, we are focused on cell- based vaccines both for seasonal influenza and being able to respond to a potential pandemic.”

FLUCELVAX® QUAD is not yet available on the National Immunisation Program and has to be purchased privately. It costs $40 and is available from many GP surgeries and at pharmacies.

“We’re aiming to work with government towards a future ­approval on the NIP,” Dr Anderson said.

GPs are encouraging people to book in for their annual flu vaccines from early next month, with hopes that take-up this year might match the very high vaccination rates from last year.

Professor Booy said although there were very few or zero local COVID-19 infections, it was still important to reduce the load on the hospital system.