influenza vaccine (surface antigen, inactivated, prepared in cell cultures)

The cell-based trivalent subunit influenza vaccine (cTIV), marketed under brand names such as Optaflu and Flucelvax, is an inactivated influenza vaccine produced using mammalian cell culture technology (specifically Madin-Darby Canine Kidney or MDCK cells) rather than traditional embryonated chicken eggs. This production method avoids egg-adapted mutations, potentially leading to a closer antigenic match with circulating seasonal strains, and allows for faster scalability during pandemics. The vaccine contains purified hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) subunit antigens from three influenza virus strains: two influenza A subtypes (H1N1 and H3N2) and one influenza B lineage. It is indicated for the prevention of seasonal influenza and is administered via intramuscular injection to induce protective hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibodies.

Brand names

OptafluFlucelvax

Other names

cell-based trivalent subunit influenza vaccinemammalian cell culture-derived trivalent subunit influenza vaccinecTIV