2010-2011 Flu Vaccine Changes

[Long_Hunter]

So... this fall, if you get the regular flu shot, you also will be protected against H1N1 since it will be rolled into the vaccine. No one in my family received the H1N1 shot this year as I felt it this vaccine was ramrodded through the system without sufficient testing. Someone that is medically inclined needs to enlighten me as to how they can combine vaccines? How can one vaccine protect against multiple strains of flu virus? I had though that the yearly flu vaccine was specifically targeted at specific changes to the normal flu (human varient) of the flu virus?:confused:
I have never heard of this... Thanks.

RLTW!!
LH

http://flu.gov/news/blogs/blog20100222.html

Protection Against 2009 H1N1 To Be Included in 2010-2011 Seasonal Flu Vaccine
February 22, 2010

A key U.S. Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committee recommended today that protection against the 2009 H1N1 virus, which was first identified last April, be included in the 2010-2011 seasonal influenza vaccine starting this fall. That means that, barring some unforeseen circumstance, this fall, most Americans will be able to return to the traditional routine of having one flu vaccine to protect them against the major circulating flu viruses. As is always the case with seasonal vaccine, younger children who have never had a seasonal vaccine will still need two doses.

Today’s recommendation to include protection against the 2009 H1N1 flu strain in next season’s flu vaccine was made by the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee. The committee’s recommendations typically guide vaccine manufacturers in preparing each season’s flu vaccines. The World Health Organization has made the same recommendation.

This recommendation will go into effect for next fall’s flu season. In the meantime, you can still protect yourself against the H1N1 flu by getting your H1N1 vaccine now. Supplies are still available and getting immunized now can protect you against H1N1 while it continues to circulate. H1N1 has led to nearly 260,000 hospitalizations and approximately 12,000 deaths in the United States. Use our handy vaccine locator to find a vaccination location near you.

Added:
Next season’s vaccine will be trivalent (with three different vaccine viruses) and include an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1like virus, an A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2like virus, and a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus. The H1N1 virus recommended for inclusion in the 2010-2011 seasonal influenza vaccine is a pandemic 2009 H1N1 virus and is the same virus used in the 2009 H1N1 monovalent vaccine.

[avking]

This is nothing new. They modify the flu vaccine every year, to include the flu from the previous season. Every flu season, the flu is a little different, so changes are needed. Been doing it this way for as long as I can remember.

[Long_Hunter]

I received a much more cohesive response to my original post that really helped me to understand the vaccine better; hope this hepls others as well. Also, at the bottom of the original post I edited in the strains for this years vaccine.

RLTW!!
LH

""Every year (at the beginning of the year), WHO decides which 3 strains are likely to be prevalent. And those 3 are put into the flu shot. So including H1N1 into the 2010 vaccine is just part of the process. The reason why it was a separate shot last year is that H1N1 appeared at the end of flu season after the decision had already been made on the 3 strains. There was a lot of consternation as to what should be done for 2009. Ultimately manufacturers concluded they could do both.

The real controversy is over which H1N1 strain to use. WHO has been in denial that other strains exist. They are claiming it's spontaneous mutations despite the mounting genetic evidence that it's actually being transmitted person-to-person. So when WHO made their recommendation to include H1N1 in the 2010 formulation, it's based on the strain that was prevalent during the fall which was very, very mild. Unfortunately that doesn't seem to protect against the new strains.

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/03...e_Failure.html

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/02...Y_Failure.html

H1N1 D225G
Good news: Does not seem to spread as easily as the fall strain; The end of the seasonal flu season is approaching in the Northern Hemisphere

Bad news: Much more severe than the fall strain; Previous infection or immunization probably does not provide any benefit; It still seems to be occurring in all aspects of the population (young & old, healthy & frail).""