Influenza may not be the first thing on your mind on this sunny summer Monday, but it's not too early to start thinking about the coming flu season. This morning, the FDA announced it has approved the 2011-2012 vaccines to be distributed in the United States:
Vaccination remains the cornerstone of preventing influenza, a contagious respiratory disease caused by influenza virus strains. The vaccine formulation protects against the three virus strains that surveillance indicates will be most common during the upcoming season and includes the same virus strains used for the 2010-2011 influenza season.
Influenza leads to more than 200,000 hospitalizations per year in the US, according to the CDC. The FDA encourages health-care personnel in particular to get vaccinated this flu season.