By IDSE News Staff
In July, Sanofi began shipping its first influenza vaccines across the United States in preparation for the 2024-2025 flu season.
Additional shipments of the company’s full flu vaccine portfolio will continue through October to healthcare provider offices, pharmacies and other immunizers to support fall immunization campaigns.
All Sanofi flu vaccines for the U.S. market are trivalent, offering protection against the current three strains of influenza (two influenza A strains and one influenza B strain). These strains were selected based on a collaborative review of influenza surveillance by the FDA, WHO and CDC, among other public health agencies, because they are most likely to cause illness in the upcoming season.
Public health authorities worldwide reiterate their recommendations for eligible people to be vaccinated every year because it is one of the best ways to protect against influenza and its complications.
The 2024-2025 U.S. influenza season portfolio consists of Fluzone High-Dose (Influenza Vaccine), Flublok (Influenza Vaccine) and Fluzone (Influenza Vaccine).
For Fluzone, in children 6 months through 8 years of age, the most common side effects were pain or tenderness and redness at the injection site, irritability, drowsiness (6 through 35 months), and muscle pain (3 years through 8 years). In adults 18 through 64 years of age, the most common side effects were injection site pain, headache and muscle pain. In adults over 65 years, the most common side effects were injection site pain, headache, muscle pain and general discomfort.
For Flublok, in adults 18 through 64 years, the most common side effects were injection site pain, headache, tiredness and muscle pain. In adults 65 years and older, the most common side effects were injection site pain, tiredness and headache.
For Fluzone High-Dose, in adults 65 years and older, the most common side effects were injection site pain, muscle pain, tiredness and headache.
Sanofi is a world leader in vaccines, helping to vaccinate more than 500 million people annually.
“Getting a flu shot is imperative to not only help protect against flu infection, but also to help reduce the risks of its potentially severe complications, which can lead to hospitalizations, especially in those most vulnerable. Sanofi understands what these populations need out of their flu shots and works tirelessly from start to finish to provide proven and specific solutions,” said Thomas Grenier, the head of Vaccines, North America at Sanofi.
