Thursday, February 19, 2009

A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel is recommending only a slight change in the flu vaccine for the 2009-2010 season from the current vaccine.

For Type A flu, the most serious kind, FDA advisers recommended no vaccine change. Next season's vaccine will protect against the same two Type A strains that are in circulation now.

But for the milder Type B strain, next year's vaccine will be slightly different. It will replace one that targets the Type B/Brisbane virus instead of the Type B/Florida strain.

The government recommends that people over 50, pregnant women, those with chronic medical conditions and children older than six months be vaccinated each year.