On Dec. 11, 2019, Seqirus announced that its cell-based quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIVc) had received approval from Health Canada for use in people 9 years of age and older. Marketed as FLUCELVAX® QUAD, the vaccine offers protection against four influenza virus strains — A(H3N2), A(H1N1) and two B virus strains

QIVc is produced using innovative cell-based technology and was first licensed in the U.S. in 2016. All four vaccine-viruses in FLUCELVAX ® QUAD are grown in MDCK cells, which eliminates the risk of egg adaptation during the manufacturing process. FLUCELVAX® QUAD may therefore offer a truer match to World Health Organization-recommended vaccine strains than traditional egg-based influenza vaccines, with the potential to provide better protection each season.

During the 2018-19 flu season, Canada saw more than 39,000 cases of seasonal influenza. In an average flu season, 12,000 Canadians will be hospitalized and 3,500 Canadians will die. Despite the severity of the consequences of influenza, only 38.3% of Canadians received their seasonal influenza vaccine in the 2017-18 flu season. According to the Government of Canada, vaccination is still the most effective way to protect against the flu and flu-related complications.