Development and testing of the Australian pandemic influenza vaccine – a timely response

Abstract

In April 2009 a novel virus strain appeared which would cause the first influenza pandemic of the 21st century. This pandemic was the first to occur in an era where bioinformatic technologies contributed to the response to this virus; still, the creation of a vaccine relied largely on existing egg-based technology. The ongoing threat of a H5N1 pandemic spurred the development of strategies to rapidly produce a pandemic vaccine. These plans were implemented and allowed CSL and Australia to conduct the first clinical trials and produce one of the first 2009 pandemic vaccines. However, new candidate influenza vaccine viruses often present challenges to manufacturing a new vaccine. This pandemic virus was no exception. Being in the post-pandemic phase, it is important to review lessons learned to improve our response to future pandemics. In hindsight, the production of a pandemic vaccine is similar to that of seasonal influenza vaccines, yet the urgency of the pandemic response compresses timelines. This report explores those timelines and implications for producing a pandemic vaccine for Australia.