there is a different flu vaccine every year based on the circulating strains. for the next season we will only have one vaccine covering all three anticipated strains. the vaccine will include a california h1n1 strain as well two australian strains – type a perth (h3n2) and type b brisbane strains. a few months ago millions of specially prepared chicken eggs were collected from special poultry establishments and then injected with those three strains one strain in each egg; an environment where the viruses will multiply for later harvest. june is the month when the fda tests the purity and potency of the anticipated strains. unlike last flu season all three be blended into one “trivalent” vaccine that will be licensed for distribution. in august the vaccine will be bottled; syringes filled and kept in cold storage for shipment in september. by october (hopefully) we will have sufficient vaccine for everyone. i would hate to see vaccine rationing and those lines forming again but it could happen if there is a glitch in any of these carefully planned steps. two weeks after getting the flu vaccine the host should develop immunity. then we wait. if enough people get vaccinated the flu will not spread rapidly like it did last year when we were caught unprepared. of course not everyone will want the vaccine. some skeptical people will hold back a few weeks or a month to see if anyone is having adverse reactions. if enough people remain vulnerable then the infection will spread in the community. last season nearly all of the early shipments were sent to health departments for mass immunization campaigns held at elementary schools just like the 1950’s. i work in a pediatric practice that sees about 400 patients a day including many high-risk children. it took months for us to acquire enough vaccines to immunize them. some of the local chain pharmacies had more vaccines than our clinic. we can never accurately predict the flu season until it arrives. the severity of the season depends on many factors from the effectiveness of the vaccine and accuracy of the anticipated strains to the distribution of vaccines and the acceptance of a sometimes-skeptical public when a “new” vaccine is promoted. for the most part i trust the centers for disease control and prevention (cdc) and the fda. influenza is a killer and it costs billions to fight this annual visitor. as a world community we all have to roll up our sleeves in order to prevent the next global pandemic.
are vaccines ready for the upcoming flu season?