Influenza Vaccine also referred as flu shot is widely used for the protection against influenza virus. The influenza vaccine is a mixture of three influenza viruses viz. influenza type A with H1N1 virus strain, influenza type A with H3N2 virus strain and influenza type B virus strain. The odds of occurrence of periodic influenza are similar in developing as well as developed countries. Moreover, it is anticipated that over the span of next five years, the global market for influenza vaccines will witness a significant increase owing to high rate of infection across the globe. In addition, over the last few years, the global influenza vaccine market has foreseen a significant double digit growth due to fear of an impending pandemic. The global influenza vaccine market has grown at a CAGR of around 65% between 2009 and 2011 due to the chaos caused by H1N1 virus. However, the demand for H1N1 flu vaccine is expected to decline due to waning threat of swine flu epidemic.

The growth of the influenza vaccines market can be attributed to increased awareness of diseases, elaborated governmental recommendations as well as advisory bodies to be vaccinated against periodic influenza. Moreover, introduction of specialized quadrivalent influenza vaccines coupled with rise in the elderly population across the globe are some other factors anticipated to bolster the demand for influenza vaccines thus driving the growth of the global influenza vaccines market. However, major barriers which are anticipated to limit the growth of the global influenza market are imperfect patient awareness regarding the threat of influenza coupled with importance of influenza vaccinations, high initial investments and stringent regulations.

The global influenza vaccines market can be segmented on the basis of type, technology, end-user and geography. On the basis of type, the global influenza vaccines market can be segmented into seasonal influenza, pandemic influenza and zoonotic influenza. On the basis of technology, the global influenza vaccines market can be segmented into virus-like particles influenza vaccine, vectored influenza vaccine and cell-based produced LAIV. On the basis of end-user, the global influenza vaccines market can be segmented into research centers, hospitals and clinics. On the basis of geography, the global influenza vaccines market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World.

Some of the major players in the global market include Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, MedImmune, CSL, Solvay, Sanofi-Pasteur, Hualun Biologicals, Sinovac Biotech, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals.Inc. and Emergent Biosolutions among others.