Influenza Vaccines

(CIDRAP News) – The World Health Organization (WHO) and vaccine makers from Europe today defended themselves against the charges of some European officials that the agency was improperly influenced by vaccine companies and exaggerated the threat of the pandemic H1N1 virus.

(CIDRAP News) – Federal officials and representatives from some of the nation's biggest health advocacy groups today teamed up to push the importance of pandemic H1N1 vaccination for people who have chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and cancer.

(CIDRAP News) – The US government recently cut back its contract for H1N1 influenza vaccine from Australian-based CSL Biotherapies by about 60%, mainly as a result of delays related to the company's commitment to make vaccine for Australia first.

Jan 6, 2010

(CIDRAP News) – School-based immunization campaigns have helped federal officials reach one of their top priority groups to receive the pandemic H1N1 vaccine, and lessons learned from the experiences may help other districts, not only this season but also during future flu seasons, experts said today at a US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) live webinar.

(CIDRAP News) – Large trials in three countries—the United States, Hungary, and China—recently confirmed the safety and efficacy of H1N1 vaccines, yielding new insights on how to best use vaccines in a pandemic setting.

Dec 29, 2009

(CIDRAP News) – The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a high-dose seasonal influenza vaccine for elderly people, whose aging immune systems may not respond effectively to flu vaccines intended for younger people.

The vaccine, Fluzone High-Dose, made by Sanofi Pasteur, contains four times as much antigen (active ingredient) as standard seasonal flu vaccines. The FDA and the company announced its approval Dec 23.

(CIDRAP News) – The nation's supply of pandemic vaccine has grown to 111 million doses, enough so that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is turning part of its attention toward boosting the percentage of adults who get vaccinated.

(CIDRAP News) – A study in Australia showed that one dose of H1N1 influenza vaccine, rather than the two doses recommended in the United States, was enough to generate a probably protective immune response in children younger than 9 years.