10/31/18
Current influenza activity in the United States may be seen in the CDC’s Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report. Additional influenza activity details may be seen in last week’s MMWR and the FluView Interactive. Last season was a particularly tough one, the 2017-2018 influenza season resulted in approximately 79,000 deaths in the United States. Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all individuals 6 months of age and older who do not have a contraindication. There are 4 manufacturers providing influenza vaccines in the United States, Sanofi Pasteur, GSK, Seqirus and AstraZeneca. Brand names are Fluzone, FluBlok, Fluarix, FluLaval, Flucelvax, Afluria, Fluad, and Flumist. The antigen content varies some by brand ie. Fluzone HD for 65+yrs has 60 mcg/HA per influenza strain contained in the vaccine, FluBlok has 45 mcg, and Fluzone quadrivalent contains 15 mcg ( 7.5 if it’s an infant dose ). Read the various package inserts for each influenza vaccine for all the needed prescribing information.