FDA Announces Influenza Vaccine Strain Recommendations for 2025–2026 Season
April 28, 2025
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released its official recommendations for the composition of the 2025–2026 seasonal influenza vaccines. These guidelines serve as a critical reference for vaccine manufacturers to ensure broad protection against circulating flu strains in the upcoming season.
Key Highlights:
Trivalent Vaccine Composition:For the 2025–2026 flu season, the FDA continues to recommend a trivalent formulation consisting of two influenza A strains and one influenza B strain.
Selected Strains Include:
Influenza A (H1N1): A/Victoria/4897/2022 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus
Influenza A (H3N2): A/Croatia/10136RV/2023 (H3N2)-like virus
Influenza B: B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus
Removal of B/Yamagata Lineage:Following the global trend observed by surveillance networks, the B/Yamagata lineage is excluded from this season's vaccine formulations, given its lack of detection in recent years.
Implications for Pharmacists:
Patient Counseling:Pharmacists should educate patients about the updated strains, explaining that the trivalent vaccine remains effective and that the exclusion of B/Yamagata reflects real-world epidemiology, not a reduced level of protection.
Inventory and Scheduling:Plan ahead for vaccine orders and early administration campaigns to ensure patients are immunized before peak flu activity.
Safety Monitoring:Stay alert to potential adverse events and encourage reporting through established systems such as VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System).
Conclusion
Each year’s influenza season brings new challenges. Staying informed about strain recommendations allows pharmacists to provide up-to-date advice and reinforce confidence in vaccination efforts. Early, consistent vaccination is key to reducing morbidity and mortality from influenza across all age groups.
References:
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "Influenza Vaccine Composition for the 2025–2026 U.S. Influenza Season." 2025.
Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP). "FDA Announces Flu Strain Picks for Next Season's Vaccines." 2025.
Pharmacy Times. "Understanding the 2025–2026 Flu Vaccine Composition Recommendations." 2025.