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December 04, 2002
U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"Q&A: Tracking the Wild Flu"
New York Times (www.nytimes.com) (12/03/02) P. F2; Ray, C. Claiborne
Each year, scientists from across the world work to identify the strains of influenza that will likely be prevalent in the next flu season. Researchers at major centers in Atlanta, London, Melbourne, and Tokyo isolate and test flu samples to determine their genetic composition, and the World Health Organization (WHO) then recommends the strains that appear to be prevalent, or strains that are related and may be easier to culture and produce. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, following the WHO's recommendations, announced in March the formula for the flu shots currently being given. The vaccine includes H1N1, A/New Caledonia/20/99; the H3N2, A/Panama/2007/99, which is an A/Moscow/10/99-like virus; and the B/Hong Kong/330/2001-like virus strains.
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