FDA: Flu Vaccine

The FDA has approved the 2011-2012 flu vaccine.  Here is the complete release:

Influenza Virus Vaccine for the 2011 - 2012 Season

Cumulative 2011/2012 Season Lot Release Status (Updated 7/21/2011)
Flu vaccine lots that have been released by FDA and are available for distribution by the manufacturers. For information on flu vaccine distribution schedules, please contact the manufacturers directly.

Vaccine & Manufacturer	Total number of Lots Released by FDA
AFLURIA CSL Limited	0
Fluarix GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals	11
FluLaval ID Biomedical Corp. of Quebec	15
FluMist MedImmune, LLC	5
Fluvirin Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Limited	3
Fluzone Sanofi Pasteur, Inc.	27

FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) met in Bethesda, Maryland, on February 25, 2011, to select the influenza viruses for the composition of the influenza vaccine for the 2011-2012 U.S. influenza season. During this meeting, the advisory committee reviewed and evaluated the surveillance data related to epidemiology and antigenic characteristics of recent influenza isolates, serological responses to 2010-2011 vaccines, and the availability of candidate strains and reagents.

The committee recommended that vaccines to be used in the 2011-2012 influenza season in the U.S. contain the following:

• an A/California/7/09 (H1N1)-like virus; *
• an A/Perth /16/2009 (H3N2)-like virus;
• a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.

        *A/California/7/09 (H1N1)-like virus is the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza virus. 

 

This year’s vaccine for the United States includes the same viruses that were used for the 2010-2011 influenza season and the influenza vaccine composition is identical to that recommended by the World Health Organization on February 17, 2011, for the Northern Hemisphere's 2011-2012 influenza season.

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