FDA approves vaccine for 2009-2010 seasonal influenza

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration monday announced that it has approved a vaccine for 2009-2010 seasonal influenza in the United States. The seasonal influenza vaccine will not protect against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus that resulted in the declaration of a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on June 11, 2009.

Although this year’s seasonal vaccine is directed against other strains of influenza expected to be circulating and will not provide protection against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, it is still important for those Americans for whom it is recommended to receive the seasonal influenza vaccine. No vaccine is 100 percent effective against preventing disease, but vaccination is the best protection against influenza and can prevent many illnesses and deaths.

The six vaccine brand names and manufacturers are:

Afluria, CSL Limited (ASX:CSL)

Fluarix, GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK)

FluLaval, ID Biomedical Corporation

Fluvirin, Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) and Diagnostics Limited

Fluzone, Sanofi Pasteur Inc.- Division of Sanofi-Aventis SA (EPA:SAN)

and FluMist, MedImmune Vaccines Inc.(UK-based pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca acquired MedImmune in 2007.)

The vaccine for the 2009-2010 seasonal influenza contains: an A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1)-like virus;

an A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2)-like virus;

a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.

Visit the FDA Web Page on Influenza Vaccine Safety & Availability. Read the FDA release for more info.

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