Next season's flu vaccine approved

The influenza vaccine formulation for the 2012-2013 season has been approved, the FDA announced last week.

Based on virus samples and global disease patterns, the strains selected for inclusion in the 2012-2013 flu vaccines are:

• A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like virus
• A/Victoria/361/2011 (H3N2)-like virus
• B/Wisconsin/1/2010-like virus.

The H1N1 virus is the same as in the 2011-2012 influenza vaccines, but the other included strains differ from those in last year's vaccines, according to an FDA press release.

The manufacturers licensed to produce the 2012-2013 flu vaccines and the brand names of the vaccines for the upcoming flu season are:

• Afluria, manufactured by CSL Limited;
• Fluarix, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals;
• FluLaval, manufactured by ID Biomedical Corporation;
• FluMist, manufactured by MedImmune Vaccines Inc.;
• Fluvirin, manufactured by Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Limited; and
• Fluzone, Fluzone High-Dose and Fluzone Intradermal, manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur.

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends that everyone six months of age and older receive an annual influenza vaccine.