NOTES TO JOURNALISTS from the virtual press conference the composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2025-2026 Northern Hemisphere influenza season, 28 February 2025

Friday, 28 February 2025

NOTES TO JOURNALISTS

Opening remarks and the list of panellists at the virtual press conference on the composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2025-2026 Northern Hemisphere influenza season

The recommendations for the composition of influenza virus vaccines for the 2026-2026 influenza season in the Northern Hemisphere were announced today, 28 February at a WHO virtual press conference.

Speakers were:

Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of WHO's Health Emergencies Programme
Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, Director (ai), Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Threat Management, WHO
Dr Zhang Wenqing, Head, Global Influenza Programme, WHO
Dr Richard Webby, Director, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Prof Ian Barr, Deputy Director, Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory

Opening remarks by Dr Maria Van Kerkhove

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening.

Before sharing information about the results from the WHO meeting held this week about the composition of the influenza virus vaccine for use in the 2025-2026 northern hemisphere influenza season, I would like to briefly summarize the avian influenza A(H5) situation, as there has been a lot of attention on H5N1.

Globally, since 2003, 1074 human cases of influenza A have been reported from around the world. These include (H5, H5N1, H5N6 and H5N8).
More recently, since 1 January 2024, 88 human infections with A(H5N1) (including A(H5)) viruses have been reported. Of the 88, five were reported in 2025.
In animals, A(H5) viruses continue to be detected in both domestic and wild birds with spillover to mammals in many countries, and sustained circulation in dairy cattle in the United States.

When we speak avian influenza A(H5), it is important to know that there are many subtypes of avian influenza viruses infecting human. There are also swine influenza viruses which can pose a threat to human health. WHO works with partners around the world on all of these zoonotic viruses, as well as with seasonal influenza viruses that are currently circulating.

With all of this information from around the world, WHO regularly conducts risk assessments.

At present and based on the information we have, WHO assesses the risk to zoonotic influenzas, including H5N1, to the general public as low. However, we assess the risk for occupationally exposed individuals as low to moderate, depending on the risk mitigation measures in place.

WHO urges all countries to heighten vigilance, strengthen surveillance in people via the WHO GISRS, investigate thoroughly all human zoonotic influenza cases and advance the preparedness and readiness for pandemic influenza.

We are working with our partner agencies, the World Organisation for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization, to strengthen surveillance in animals, improve measures to reduce animal to animal transmission, animal to human transmission, and transmission to new animal species.

Now onto the vaccine composition meeting that took place this week here at the WHO Collaborating Centre for Influenza in the Francis Crick Institute, in London.

Influenza viruses are constantly evolving and that means the vaccines to counter them also need to evolve. WHO works with Member States and technical partners to update influenza vaccine composition twice a year, every year, to make sure that we have the best possible vaccine to protect people around the world. We meet once to prepare for the flu vaccine in the northern hemisphere, and once for the southern hemisphere.

During these meetings, global experts from WHO Collaborating Centres, National Influenza Centres, regulatory laboratories, laboratories from the animal sector, and other institutions review the circulating influenza viruses, assess the changes compared to the last influenza season, and advise WHO about the updates needed for vaccine composition. This week, we met for the Northern Hemisphere.

I would like to acknowledge the work of Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System, which is a global network of 160 laboratories in 133 countries, areas and Territories, including 152 National Influenza Centers. Jointly with our collaborators, GISRS works year-round to monitor the influenza situation and the related viruses.

Based on this global collaboration of scientists and institutions around the world we are able to assess the risk of emergence of novel influenza viruses and prevent epidemics or pandemics by implementing early detection and response measures to prevent zoonotic viruses that spillover into human populations becoming fit of human-to-human transmission that can cause outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics.

This morning, we had an information session with global vaccine manufacturers and regulatory agencies to announce the WHO recommendations so that they can immediately start the production cycle of seasonal influenza vaccines for the next northern hemisphere season.

The full recommendations from the WHO Vaccine Composition Meeting have been published today on the WHO website. These include recommendations for the composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 25-26 northern hemisphere season as well as recommendations for new candidate vaccine viruses for zoonotic influenzas including for H5N1 for pandemic preparedness.

I would like to thank our colleagues from FAO, WOAH, and OFFLU for their critical contributions to update of zoonotic influenza candidate vaccine viruses.

WHO, jointly with its partners, will continue working with all countries on surveillance, preparedness and response to seasonal influenza, avian and other zoonotic influenza viruses with pandemic potential.

Thank you.

Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2025-2026 Northern Hemisphere influenza season: https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/recommended-composition-of-influenza-virus-vaccines-for-use-in-the-2025-2026-northern-hemisphere-influenza-season

Media contact:

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