Now is the time to get those flu shots. We’re on our way to do just that and thought you might want to know what’s new in this year’s flu. Our friends at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have some very useful information about the vaccines.
CDC recommends annual influenza vaccination for everyone 6 months and older with any licensed, influenza vaccine that is appropriate for the recipient’s age and health status, (IIV, RIV4, or LAIV4) with no preference expressed for any one vaccine over another.
There are many different flu viruses and they are constantly changing. The composition of U.S. flu vaccines is reviewed annually and updated as needed to match circulating flu viruses. Flu vaccines protect against the three or four viruses (depending on the vaccine) that research suggests will be most common. For 2019-2020, trivalent (three-component) vaccines are recommended to contain:
Quadrivalent (four-component) vaccines, which protect against a second lineage of B viruses, are recommended to contain:
The World Health Organization (WHO) made the selection of the H1N1 and both B components for 2019-2020 Northern Hemisphere flu vaccines on February 21 and at that time decided to delay the decision on an H3N2 vaccine component. FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) also selected the H1N1 and B components at their first meeting on March 6, but also decided to postpone the selection of the H3N2 component. WHO selected the H3N2 component listed above on March 21, 2019. VRBPAC chose the same H3N2 component for U.S. vaccines on March 22, 2019.
Flu vaccine is produced by private manufacturers, so supply depends on manufacturers. For the 2019-2020 season, manufacturers have projected they will provide between 162 million and 169 million doses of vaccine for the U.S. market.
The single best way to prevent seasonal flu is to get vaccinated each year, plus good health habits like covering your cough and washing your hands often can help stop the spread of germs and prevent respiratory illnesses like the flu. There also are flu antiviral drugs that can be used to treat and prevent flu. The tips below will help you learn about steps you can take to protect yourself and others from flu and help stop the spread of germs.
We encourage you to get the flu vaccine and hope that you escape the flu virus this year. When you have questions about your insurance, we’re here to help.
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Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention