Health
Flu vaccine gets OK from FDA
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Aug. 21, 2006
Vaccines that are expected to provide protection from seasonal flu in the Northern Hemisphere during the approaching season were approved on Aug. 2 by the Food and Drug Administration. Each year vaccine manufacturers submit information and samples of the viral strains to the agency for review and testing.
This season's approved formulation includes one strain that was used in last year's vaccine and two new strains. The four vaccine manufacturers approved to market their products in the United States are on track to deliver a total of 100 million doses, 20 million more than last year, according to the FDA.
Each year 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu, more than 200,000 people are hospitalized because of complications and 36,000 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2006/08/21/hlbf0821.htm.
