The company plans to ship approximately 50 million doses of the vaccine this year and is expected to supply approximately half of the global influenza vaccines market.
As in past years, the company will use a split-delivery process so that all customers will receive at least a partial delivery of their orders by the end of September.
To keep pace with the nation’s growing and changing immunization needs, Sanofi Pasteur has expanded its influenza vaccine production capability. In July 2005, construction began on a new influenza vaccine production facility in Swiftwater, Pennsylvania, that will more than double the company’s US capacity. The new plant is expected to come online for the 2008-2009 season.
Fluzone vaccine is the only influenza vaccine licensed for populations 6 months and older.