FDA approves 2008-2009 flu vaccines
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved six influenza vaccines for the 2008-2009 season.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved six influenza vaccines for the 2008-2009 season.
The 2008-2009 season's vaccines contain three strains of the influenza virus that are most likely cause of the flu in the United States. The FDA modified all three strains for this year's influenza vaccine; normally, only one or two strains are updated yearly.
Two of the three strains are now in use for the Southern Hemisphere's 2008 influenza season, which is currently underway, the FDA stated.
The six vaccines for the 2008-2009 flu season (with manufacturers in parentheses) are Afluria (CSL Limited), Fluarix (GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals), FluLaval (ID Biomedical Corporation of Quebec), FluMist (MedImmune Vaccines Inc.), Fluvirin (Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Limited), and Fluzone (Sanofi Pasteur Inc.).
Further approval information can be found on the FDA's website here, and a list of the strains included in the 2008-2009 vaccine can be found here.
