Flu Vaccines for This Year Approved

(August 2, 2010) - The mix of flu vaccines for the coming flu season is set. (Read about "Influenza") The three strains in this year's flu shot will include the H1N1 virus that caused the outbreak of so-called swine flu last year.

Last year because the 2009 H1N1 virus emerged after production began on the seasonal vaccine, two separate vaccines were needed to protect against seasonal flu and the 2009 H1N1 pandemic flu virus, but this year, only one vaccine is necessary.

Vaccines for the 2010-2011 seasonal influenza contain the following strains:

• A/California/7/09 (H1N1)-like virus (pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza virus)
• A/Perth /16/2009 (H3N2)-like virus
• B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 5 percent and 20 percent of the U.S. population develops influenza each year, leading to more than 200,000 hospitalizations from related complications and about 36,000 deaths.

"The best way to protect yourself and your family against influenza is to get vaccinated every year," said Karen Midthun, M.D., acting director of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. "The availability of a new seasonal influenza vaccine each year is an important tool in the prevention of influenza related illnesses and death."

Each year, experts from FDA, World Health Organization, CDC, and other institutions study virus samples and patterns collected worldwide to identify strains likely to cause the most illness during the upcoming season.

Based on that information and the recommendations of FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, manufacturers included the respective three strains in the 2010-2011 vaccines. The closer the match between the circulating strains and the strains in the vaccine, the better the protection against influenza disease.

Related Information:

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