The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved four new influenza vaccines that were recently licensed by the Food and Drug Administration as acceptable for influenza prevention.
Two of the vaccines are quadrivalent, meaning they protect against four forms of the various, and include two influenza B strains and two influenza A strains. Another approved vaccine is a cell-culture-base, while the fourth vaccine is an egg-free variant that is produced without using influenza viruses.
All four vaccines are slated to be available for the 2013-2014 influenza season in addition to the already approved versions, according to Dr. Lisa Grohskopf from the influenza division at the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
The new additions "are acceptable alternatives to the other licenses vaccine products within specified indications," Grohskopf said.
But Grohskopf also noted that there is no official protocol in place for which vaccine to use when a provider has more than one type and warned against providers waiting to vaccinate so they can wait for a specific product.
Flumist Quadrivalent from MedImmune, Fluarix Quadrivalent from GSK, Flucelvax from Novartis and Flubok from Protein Sciences are the four new approved vaccines.
The CDC panel urged that people over six years of age receive annual influenza vaccinations and that children younger than eight years receive two doses of the vaccine at least 20 days apart.