The Food and Drug Administration approved six flu vaccines
for the upcoming flu season changing all three flu strains in each of the
vaccines.
The decision comes after the last year’s flu vaccine was only
44 percent effective overall because, unfortunately, two of the three strains were not good matches. Hundreds of people in 44 states
in the US
got influenza last year. By February, when flu usually reaches its highest
peak, 10 pediatric deaths were registered last year.
Each vaccine contains three-influenza viruses-one A (H3N2)
virus, one A (H1N1) virus, and one B virus. How well the flu vaccine works
depends on how well the match is between the influenza vaccine and the types of
flu viruses that are circulating that year. Experts from the FDA, World Health
organization, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other
institutions try to predict what strains (types) of flu viruses are most likely
to spread and cause illness each year to put into the vaccine.
“One of the biggest challenges in the fight against
influenza is producing new vaccines every year. There s no other instance where
new vaccines must be made every year. The approval of flu vaccines is a part of
FDA’s mission to promote the health of Americans throughout the year,” Jesse L.
Goodman, M.D., M.P.H., director of FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and
Research said.
The flu vaccines to be used in the 2008-2009 influenza
season in the US
protect against A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1)-like virus, an A/Brisbane/10/2007
(H3N2)-like virus and a B/Florida/4/2006-like virus. Two of the strains
included in this year’s vaccine are already circulating in the Southern
Hemisphere, where flu season is already under way, the FDA said.
The vaccines approved this year and their manufacturers are as follows: CSL
Limited, Afluria; GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, Fluarix; ID Biomedical
Corporation of Quebec,
FluLaval; MedImmune Vaccines Inc., FluMist; Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics
Limited, Fluvirin; and Sanofi Pasteur Inc., Fluzone.
According to the CDC, anyone who wants to reduce his or her
chances of getting the flu can get vaccinated. However, it is recommended that
certain people should get vaccinated each year. They are either people who are
at high risk of having serious flu complications (such as children aged 6
months until their 5th birthday, pregnant women, people 50 years of age and
older and people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions) or people
who live with or care for those at high risk for serious complications.
According to the CDC, about 5 to 20 percent of the US population
gets the flu, a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses.
More than 200,000 are hospitalized from flu complication and there about 36,000
flu-related deaths.
October or November is the best time to get vaccinated, but you can still get
vaccinated in December and later. Flu season can begin as early as October and
last as late as May.
