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One flu shot should be enough next year; FDA panel recommends H1N1 be included in regular flu shot
WASHINGTON—A key US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Advisory Committee recommended this week 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.
The 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.
