News & Perspective

(CIDRAP News) – The influenza vaccine that was developed to fight the 2009 pandemic saved roughly 300 lives and prevented about 1 million illnesses and 6,000 hospitalizations, or under 3% of the estimated total burden in each category, according to new estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

(CIDRAP News) – It's been more or less an article of faith that influenza vaccination in the fall will protect a person through the winter flu season, but three studies published today in Eurosurveillance are challenging that view.

(CIDRAP News) – The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first influenza vaccine produced with the help of an insect virus and recombinant DNA technology, an approach the agency says may make it possible to start production faster in the event of a flu pandemic.

(CIDRAP News) – An early assessment of this year's influenza vaccine shows it has provided a "moderate" level of protection at 62% so far this season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today. That vaccine effectiveness (VE) level is about the same as in recent seasons and as found in a recent careful meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.