In the first half of this year a novel Influenza A H1N1 virus has resulted in an influenza pandemic. The United Kingdom has seen a particularly high incidence of disease. The highest rates of disease are being seen in young children. In anticipation of an influenza pandemic two vaccine manufacturers, Baxter and GlaxoSmithKline, have gained marketing authorization approval from the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) for a pandemic strain vaccine under the "mockup" dossier route based on limited clinical trial data for a candidate H5N1 vaccine. This "mockup" dossier route for pandemic influenza vaccines allows the submission of a core pandemic dossier during the interpandemic period, which results in the approval of a mockup pandemic vaccine. This is followed by a fast track approval of the pandemic vaccine based on the submission of the pandemic variation when the situation arises. The Baxter and GlaxoSmithKline vaccines have now been modified to cover the novel influenza A H1N1 strain.