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Medical Author:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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The FDA and CDC approved the trivalent vaccine (TIV) for 2012-2013 to be composed of the following three viral strains in conjunction with the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP):

• A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09
• In 2009 monovalent, 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 seasonal vaccines
• A/Victoria/361/2011 (H3N2) (replaces A/Perth/16/2009)
• B/Wisconsin/1/2010
• Yamagata lineage; replaces previous Victoria lineage (B/Brisbane/60/2008)

The H3N2 and B viruses are different strains than those used in the 2011-2012 vaccine. In addition, the FDA approved a quadrivalent (four strains) vaccine for U.S. use; it is named FluMist Quadrivalent and contains a second B influenza strain and except for the fourth strain, is produced the same way the FluMist trivalent nasal vaccine manufactured by MedImmune. Unfortunately, the H3N2 strain used in this year's trivalent vaccine does not protect against the new influenza A H3N2v strain currently transmitted by pigs to humans.

The following is a list of the FDA-approved seasonal (2012-2013 flu season) vaccines and the companies that name and manufacture them as of August 2012:

• Sanofi Pasteur
• Novartis
• MedImmune, LLC
• ID Biomedical Corporation of Quebec
• CSL Biotherapies
• GlaxoSmithKline

Caregivers are strongly advised to read the package inserts to check for indications and contraindications before administering any type of vaccine, especially new vaccines, as sometimes the indications for use and contraindications change. Readers are advised to view an extensive table (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/vaccines.htm) that the CDC developed for each vaccine type and producer to describe the individual features of each vaccine. In addition, there are updates made occasionally about who should get what type of vaccine.

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See the Entire Flu Vaccine Topic Guide »