However, MercyCare Business Health Solutions offers the quadrivalent flu vaccination. This form of the vaccination offers the same benefits as the trivalent with the addition of another strain; it includes a total of four strains of the flu virus: two strains of influenza A and two strains of influenza B.

Is the quadrivalent flu shot better?

An earlier trivalent version was licensed in 2013 but was later replaced by the quadrivalent version. A new CDC study showed that flu shots made using recombinant technology produced a better antibody response among health care personnel compared with both cell-based and traditional flu shots.

What does quadrivalent vaccine mean?

A vaccine that works by stimulating an immune response against four different antigens, such as four different viruses or other microorganisms. For example, Gardasil is a quadrivalent vaccine that helps protect the body against infection with four different types of human papillomaviruses (HPV).