|
E-mail this page to a friend!
Flu News for Senior Citizens
Record Number of Flu Vaccine Doses Headed for U.S.
Market
 CDC says
most vaccine providers should have
vaccine in October
September 6, 2006 – A record number of doses of
influenza vaccine will be available this year, according to an
announcement today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Vaccine manufacturers are expecting to produce and distribute more than
100 million doses of influenza vaccines in the United States between now
and early January, 2007 - at least 17 million more doses than has ever
been distributed.
| |
Related Stories |
|
| |
Discovery of Bird Flu Virus Structure Could Herald
Better Drugs
Tamiflu only drug
shown effective against H5N1, but there were human deaths in Asia where
bird flu resisted the drug
 By David
McAlary
Voice of America, Washington - 16 August 2006
British
researchers have taken a step that could lead to more potent drugs
against the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus. They have peered inside a key
protein on the surface of the virus, obtaining structural information
that chemists could use to design new drugs to block it.
Read more...
 Bird Flu Found in Michigan Swans Not the H5N1 Strain
- Just H5 and N1
No threat to human health says Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
August 14, 2006 – Two Michigan swans were found to have an H5 and an N1
but they don't fit together to make H5N1. These avian influenza subtypes
have been found in two wild mute swans but the U.S. Department of
Agriculture and Interior have ruled out the possibility of this being
the H5N1 strain that has spread through birds in other parts of the
world and caused a number of human deaths. Read
more...
Pandemic Flu Preparedness Gets More U.S. Funding as
Threat Marches On
June 16, 2006 – Although the threat of pandemic flu seems to have
dropped considerably as a concern of Americans, the Congress yesterday
approved an emergency funding request of $2.3 billion for pandemic
preparedness.
Read more...
HHS Secretary Lays Out Pandemic Plan for Elderly
May 25, 2006 – At a hearing this morning by the
Senate's Special Committee on Aging on "Preparing For Pandemic Flu,"
Health & Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt said, "two federal
advisory committees have recommended HHS prioritize elderly populations..."
Read more...
Higher Dose of Flu Vaccine Improves Immune Response
in the Elderly
Senior citizens with double dose had up to 79%
more antibody
May 22, 2006 -
Read more...
'Holy Grail' of Flu Vaccines Successful in St. Jude
Test
Vaccine protected animals from bird and human
influenza virus
May 2, 2006 – Read more...
Relenza Inhaler Approved for Prevention of A and B
Flu; Stockpiled for Pandemic
March 31, 2006 –
Read more...
Bird Flu Vaccine Supply Shrinks with News It Takes
Double Dose to Work
March 30, 2006 –
Read more...
Read more
on
FLU 2005-06 |
|
Manufacturers have already begun to ship this
season's influenza vaccine, with almost of all of the vaccine expected
to be shipped and distributed in October and November. The influenza
vaccine manufacturers and major distributors are implementing policies
designed to provide some influenza vaccine by the end of October to all
providers who ordered it.
"As we've learned in the past few years, there is
always some uncertainty regarding influenza vaccine supplies and
distribution," said Dr. Julie Gerberding, CDC director.
"It's often very difficult to predict how much
vaccine will be distributed and when, or exactly when influenza vaccine
will be available for those who provide it. However, if the
manufacturers' estimates hold, more people than ever before will be able
to protect themselves and their loved ones from influenza this year."
The previous high in doses available was 83.1
million doses in 2003. The current estimate is about 19 million more
doses than were distributed last year (81.2 million). According to the
information from manufacturers, about 75 million doses will be
distributed by the end of October; that would be about 15 million more
doses than were distributed by the end of October, 2005.
"As our recommendations highlight, there are many
people who can benefit from the protection an influenza vaccine can
provide, especially health care providers, children between 6 months and
up to 5 years of age, people with chronic diseases such as diabetes,
asthma, and heart disease, and people 50 years old and older," said
Gerberding. "Our goal, and the goal of those who provide influenza
vaccine, is to use every available dose so that we protect as many
people as possible."
According to Dr. Lance Rodewald, director of CDC's
Immunization Services Division, the CDC has been working with influenza
vaccine manufacturers and distributors to monitor this season's
influenza vaccine supply and the timing of its distribution. In
addition, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has successfully worked
with the vaccine manufacturers to increase both the supply and its
diversity and to facilitate early availability.
"When and how much vaccine each healthcare provider
or clinic receives depends on who they ordered from and when they
ordered," said Rodewald. "There are many manufacturers and distributors,
each of which has different distribution plans and schedules. We expect
that some healthcare providers and clinics may get or have more
influenza vaccine than others in the first month or so, but people will
have plenty of opportunities to be vaccinated during October and
November, as well as December or later."
While the best time for vaccination is October and
November before the influenza season typically begins, vaccination can
still provide protection in December and later because during most years
influenza does not peak until February or later. Since influenza is
unpredictable, and different types and strains of influenza circulate
throughout the flu season, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization
Practices (ACIP) recommends that influenza vaccine be offered throughout
the influenza season -- even after influenza has appeared or begun
appearing in a community.
Each year in the United States, between 5 and 20
percent of the population is infected with influenza, about 36,000
people die and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized because of
influenza complications.
Because influenza viruses are continuously
changing, the strains of influenza virus included in the influenza
vaccine are re-evaluated each year and a new vaccine must be formulated
for each season.
The vaccine includes three viruses, usually one
influenza type B virus and two influenza type A virus strains, and each
must be grown individually before the three are combined late in the
production process. The strains are usually chosen in February and the
vaccine production and preparation process takes about six to eight
months. Distribution of influenza vaccine begins as early as August and
typically continues throughout November and December.
The viruses in the 2006-07 influenza vaccine are:
● an A/New Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1)-like virus;
● an A/Wisconsin/67/2005 (H3N2)-like virus (A/Wisconsin/67/2005 and
● A/Hiroshima/52/2005 strains);
> a B/Malaysia/2506/2004-like virus (B/Malaysia/2506/2004 and
> B/Ohio/1/2005 strains)
Click to More Senior News on the
Front Page
Copyright: SeniorJournal.com |
