SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND (BNO NEWS) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday announced that it has approved vaccines for the 2010-2011 influenza season in the United States. 

Seasonal influenza vaccine protects against three strains of influenza, including the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, which caused the 2009 pandemic.

Each year, experts from FDA, World Health Organization, CDC, and other institutions study virus samples and patterns collected worldwide to identify strains likely to cause the most illness during the upcoming season.

Based on that information and the recommendations of FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, manufacturers included the respective three strains in the 2010-2011 vaccines. The closer the match between the circulating strains and the strains in the vaccine, the better the protection against influenza disease.

“The best way to protect yourself and your family against influenza is to get vaccinated every year,” said Karen Midthun, M.D., acting director of FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “The availability of a new seasonal influenza vaccine each year is an important tool in the prevention of influenza related illnesses and death.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 5 and 20 percent of the U.S. population develops influenza each year, leading to more than 200,000 hospitalizations from related complications and about 36,000 deaths.

There is always a possibility of a less than optimal match between the virus strains predicted to circulate and the virus strains that end up causing the most illness.

However, even if the vaccine and the circulating strains are not an exact match, the vaccine may reduce the severity of the illness or may help prevent influenza-related complications.

Vaccines for the 2010-2011 seasonal influenza contain the following strains: A/California/7/09 (H1N1)-like virus (pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza virus); A/Perth /16/2009 (H3N2)-like virus; and B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.

The brand names and manufacturers for the upcoming season’s vaccines are: Afluria, CSL Limited; Agriflu, Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics; Fluarix, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals; FluLaval, ID Biomedical Corporation; FluMist, MedImmune Vaccines Inc.; Fluvirin, Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Limited; and Fluzone and Fluzone High-Dose, Sanofi Pasteur Inc.

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