ICMR backs NH flu shot as H1N1 cases continue to surge

As H1N1 infections continue to push up influenza cases in Delhi-NCR and several other parts of India, the latest recommendation on which flu vaccine should be used has brought renewed focus to a simple but often overlooked question: is the vaccine available in India keeping pace with the viruses actually circulating here?

Delhi has recorded a very high burden of H1N1 cases this year and the surge has coincided with the monsoon and post-monsoon influenza season, when respiratory infections tend to rise across several parts of the country.

Now, a July 2026 recommendation issued through the government’s influenza surveillance system says the strains currently circulating in India closely resemble those covered by the World Health Organisation (WHO)-recommended Northern Hemisphere (NH) influenza vaccine for 2026-27.

This is important because influenza vaccines are not static and the WHO



every year updates recommendations for the composition of flu vaccines in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres – based on the strains of circulating viruses.

The latest ICMR guidelines suggest that the NH flu vaccine, more aligned with the Indian condition, however, may not be adequately available.

Influenza vaccine, it is estimated, is about 50–60 % efficacious against serious symptoms and is indicated for kids aged 6 months-five years, pregnant women, high-risk adults and the elderly.

India’s recommendation is based on year-round surveillance conducted through the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory network, in collaboration with the WHO National Influenza Centre at the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune.

Currently, 73 sentinel sites across the country report influenza testing data.