Personal Injury Law

FDA - New Seasonal Flu Vaccine Approved

By Chrissie Cole

Agriflu, a new seasonal flu vaccine by Novartis', was approved for sale by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday. Agriflu is not intended to fight the H1-N1 virus, also known as swine flu.

The vaccine, approved to prevent influenza subtypes A and B in people 18 or older, is administered as a single injection in the upper arm. The agency used an accelerated approval process but the company is required to conduct more tests to show Agriflu's effectiveness.

Common side effects of Agriflu found during clinical trials include: headache, muscle aches, pain, swelling, redness at the injection site and tiredness.

Novartis is also the maker of Fluvirin, another licensed vaccine for seasonal influenza, which is approved for people 4 and older.

While no vaccine is 100 percent effective in preventing the flu, vaccination is the key to prevention, the FDA said.

Full post as published by New York City Personal Injury Lawyer on November 27, 2009 (boomark / email).