Pharmaceutical Business review

Novartis restarts influenza vaccine distribution in Canada

Health Canada asked Novartis to suspend distribution of Agriflu and Fluad on 26 October 2012 as precautionary measure.

The Public Health Agency of Canada, which monitors vaccination-related adverse events, has received no negative reports for the vaccines.

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada vaccines and diagnostics head John Dorsey said, "This resumption of supply will enable healthcare professionals to keep immunizing people against seasonal influenza."

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada president Riad Sherif B said, "Patients’ health and safety is our primary priority at Novartis which is why we took precautionary steps, although we were confident in the safety and efficacy of the Agriflu® and Fluad® vaccines."

Agriflu is an inactivated influenza subunit virus vaccine to immunize influenza for people aged 6 months and older, while Fluad is an adjuvanted inactivated influenza subunit virus vaccine to treat adults aged 65 years and older.