WQOW TV: Eau Claire, WI NEWS18 News, Weather, and SportsFDA approves new vaccine to prevent seasonal flu

FDA approves new vaccine to prevent seasonal flu

Madison (WQOW) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it has approved a new vaccine to prevent seasonal influenza.

However, Agriflu, made by Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, is not intended to protect against the H1N1 virus. The FDA says the vaccine was approved using an accelerated approval process. Novartis demonstrated that the vaccine induces levels of antibodies in the blood that are effective in preventing seasonal flu, but it still needs to conduct further studies.

The FDA says that Agriflu, for ages 18 and older, is administered as a single injection in the upper arm. Novartis produces another licensed vaccine for seasonal flu, Fluvirin, approved for ages four and older.

According to the FDA, no vaccine is 100-percent effective in preventing disease, but vaccination is the key to flu prevention.