GSK, a UK-based healthcare company, announced on Friday that it has commenced shipping its quadrivalent influenza vaccines to US healthcare providers and pharmacies for the 2021-22 flu season.

This move follows a licensing and lot-release approval from the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

The company is planning to distribute more doses than it has in any earlier influenza season, with a record supply of over 50 million doses of its influenza vaccine for the 2021-2022 season to the US market. Both FLULAVAL QUADRIVALENT and FLUARIX QUADRIVALENT will be offered in 0.5mL, single-dose, pre-filled syringe, and indicated for patients six months and older in line with The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations.

The World Health Organisation and FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee recommended including A/Victoria/2570/2019 (H1N1) pdm09-like virus, A/Cambodia/e0826360/2020 (H3N2)-like virus, B/Washington/02/2019 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus and B/Phuket/3073/2013 (B/Yamagata lineage)-like virus for egg-based vaccines for the 2021-22 flu season.