FRIDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- The flu vaccines approved
for the 2010-11 season protect against three strains of influenza,
including the 2009 H1N1 pandemic swine flu strain, the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration announced Friday.
Because the 2009 H1N1 virus emerged after production had started
on last year's seasonal flu vaccine, two separate vaccines were
needed last season to protect against seasonal flu and the 2009
H1N1 virus.
This year, people will require only one vaccine, the FDA
said.
Each year, experts from the World Health Organization, the FDA,
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other
institutions analyze flu virus samples and patterns collected
worldwide in order to determine which strains are most likely to
cause illness during the upcoming season.
The vaccines for the 2010-11 flu season 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.
There is always a chance that viral strains other than those
predicted to circulate will cause the most illnesses in a flu
season, the FDA said. However, even if there's not an exact match
between the vaccine and the circulating virus strains, the vaccine
may help reduce the severity of the illness or help prevent
flu-related complications.
"The best way to protect yourself and your family against influenza is to get vaccinated every year," Dr. Karen Midthun, acting director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in an agency news release. "The availability of a new seasonal influenza vaccine each year is an important tool in the prevention of influenza-related illness and death."
The brand names of vaccines for the upcoming flu season are:
Afluria, Agriflu, Fluarix, FluLaval, FluMist, Fluvirin, Fluzone,
and Fluzone High-Dose.
In a separate news release, officials at the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reminded Americans that the
agency expanded its 2010-11 influenza vaccination recommendations
in a vote early this year.
Prior guidelines had focused on certain high-risk groups, such
as children and people with underlying health conditions, but for
the coming season, the CDC recommends that all people over 6 months
of age get the annual flu vaccine.
More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians offers
flu prevention tips.