Apr 19, 2007 7:40 am US/Pacific
Record 132 Million Flu Shots Planned For Fall
ATLANTA (CBS) ―
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If approved, CSL Biotherapies would join four other companies providing flu vaccine in the United States.
Flu vaccine manufacturers expect to have a record 132 million doses ready for the 2007-2008 flu season, and there could be even more available if a fifth company joins their ranks, officials said Thursday.
CSL Biotherapies, an Australian company, applied last month for federal approval to sell its inactivated flu vaccine in the United States this fall.
The vaccine estimates were announced at an Atlanta meeting of flu vaccine manufacturers, health care providers and public health officials.
If approved, CSL would join four other companies providing flu vaccine in the United States. Three make flu shots — Sanofi Pasteur Inc., which projects 50 million doses; Novartis Vaccines, which expects to make up to 40 million doses; and GlaxoSmithKline, which is planning 30 million to 35 million doses.
In addition, MedImmune Vaccines Inc. plans to manufacture about 7 million doses of FluMist, a nasal mist recommended only for healthy people between 5 and 49. It contains live virus and carries a slight chance of causing flu symptoms.
According the the Web site for the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, the best time to get a flu vaccination is October or November, however a later vaccination can still be beneficial.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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