Influenza vaccines: from whole virus preparations to recombinant protein technology

Abstract

Vaccination against influenza represents our most effective form of prevention. Historical approaches toward vaccine creation and production have yielded highly effective vaccines that are safe and immunogenic. Despite their effectiveness, these historical approaches do not allow for the incorporation of changes into the vaccine in a timely manner. In 2013, a recombinant protein-based vaccine that induces immunity toward the influenza virus hemagglutinin was approved for use in the USA. This vaccine represents the first approved vaccine formulation that does not require an influenza virus intermediate for production. This review presents a brief history of influenza vaccines, with insight into the potential future application of vaccines generated using recombinant technology.

Keywords::

• hemagglutinin
• influenza
• recombinant protein
• vaccine history

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The author has no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Key issues

• Influenza vaccine formulations have evolved since initial use in 1945 to yield the currently available, seasonal influenza vaccines that are safe and immunogenic.

• Influenza vaccine production cycles that involve virus intermediates and lengthy reassortment and propagation steps make it difficult to incorporate changes in vaccine formulation in a rapid manner.

• Advances in recombinant protein production technologies have led to the recent approval of FluBlok^® as a recombinant protein vaccine that targets the hemagglutinin surface glycoprotein of influenza viruses.

Notes