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CDC update: Get your flu shot now

The 2010-11 flu season right around the corner and now is good time to get your annual flu shot. The CDC and FDA have made this year’s flu shot available yearly and have already found their way into national pharmacies. There will be close to 155 million doses this year with about 70 million being made available in September. Karen Midthun, M.D., acting director of FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research said,

“The best way to protect yourself and your family against influenza is to get vaccinated every year, the availability of a new seasonal influenza vaccine each year is an important tool in the prevention of influenza related illnesses and death.”

Flu is a serious contagious disease that can lead to hospitalization and even death. In 2009–2010, a new and very different flu virus (called 2009 H1N1) spread worldwide causing the first flu pandemic in more than 40 years. Flu is unpredictable, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expects the 2009 H1N1 virus to spread this upcoming season along with other seasonal flu viruses.

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This year’s vaccine will contain the H1N1 virus and will act as a booster to those who already got the H1N1 last year and offer protection for those who didn’t get the H1N1 vaccine last time around.

From the CDC:

The 2010 guidelines:

• All persons at least 6 months old should receive annual vaccination for the 2010-2011 influenza season.
• During the 2010-2011 season, 2 doses of a 2010-2011 seasonal influenza vaccine should be given at a minimal interval of 4 weeks to children aged 6 months to 8 years with unknown vaccination status who have never received seasonal influenza vaccine before (or who received seasonal vaccine for the first time in 2009-2010 but received only 1 dose in their first year of vaccination), as well as to children who did not receive at least 1 dose of an influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccine regardless of previous influenza vaccine history.
• Vaccines should contain the 2010-2011 trivalent vaccine virus strains A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like (the same strain as was used for 2009 H1N1 monovalent vaccines), A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like, and B/Brisbane/60/2008-like antigens.
• The report describes Fluzone High-Dose (sanofi pasteur), a newly approved vaccine for persons at least 65 years old.
• The report also provides information about other newly approved, standard-dose influenza vaccines and expanded age indications for previously approved vaccines.

There are two types of vaccines:

• The "flu shot" — an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle, usually in the arm. The flu shot is approved for use in people older than 6 months, including healthy people and people with chronic medical conditions.
• The nasal-spray flu vaccine —a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the flu (sometimes called LAIV for "live attenuated influenza vaccine" or FluMist®). LAIV (FluMist®) is approved for use in healthy* people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant.

The seasonal flu vaccine protects against three influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season. The 2010-2011 flu vaccine will protect against 2009 H1N1, and two other influenza viruses (an H3N2 virus and an influenza B virus). The viruses in the vaccine change each year based on international surveillance and scientists' estimations about which types and strains of viruses will circulate in a given year. About 2 weeks after vaccination, antibodies that provide protection against influenza virus infection develop in the body.

Steve's H1N1 articles

Resource Links:

CDC

Flu.gov

Seasonal Flu Facts

Vaccine Effectiveness

For more info:
Please leave a comment or ask any question about the subjects that have been covered. Steve will be monitoring this page and will answer your questions in a timely manner. You can also follow Steve on Twitter @ipr365 or email Steve at swoliver@cfl.rr.com

, CDC Headlines Examiner

Steve Oliver has a PhD in biophysics, a master's degree in computer and electronic engineering and two bachelor's of science degrees in cardiopulmonary sciences and emergency medicine. At this time Steve is a chiropractic student. He has been tracking hurricanes for the last 15 years. As an avid...

Comments

  • Anonymous 1 year ago

    Yes, we all need more Thimerosal and mercury in our bodies - and don't forget aluminum! Can't live without that.

    The CDC is the same jokers that claimed H1N1 was a pandemic. Does anyone still believe these mercury pushing bozos?

  • Andrew Wozny 1 year ago

    Why does the CDC make any vaccines containing Thimerosal?

    From Wikipedia:

    Thiomersal is very toxic by inhalation, ingestion, and in contact with skin.

    Few studies of the toxicity of thiomersal in humans have been performed. Animal experiments suggest that thiomersal rapidly dissociates to release ethylmercury after injection; that the disposition patterns of mercury are similar to those after exposure to equivalent doses of ethylmercury chloride; and that the central nervous system and the kidneys are targets.

    I would rather have the puking flu for a week than let someone inject this into my body!

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