Sanofi Pasteur shipping first doses of flu vaccine in the US

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group, began shipping the influenza virus vaccine, Fluzone, in the United States for the 2008-2009 season. The first 1.3 mln doses of the vaccine began shipping this week following marketing clearance of the 2008-2009 formulation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 14.
Vaccine shipments to health-care providers and to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for distribution through the Vaccines for Children Program will continue through the fall and are planned to be completed in October.
This year's flu vaccine contains three new strains of the influenza virus. Unlike other routinely recommended vaccines whose formulation remains constant over time, influenza vaccine is formulated each year to match the strains predicted to circulate during the upcoming season.
As the world's leading influenza vaccine manufacturer, sanofi pasteur produces approximately half of the ‘flu shots’ distributed worldwide and in the U.S produced more than 40% of the influenza vaccine distributed for the 2007-2008 season. Sanofi Pasteur is committed to raising immunization rates and improving global access to vaccines and is expanding its influenza vaccine production facility in the United States. This expansion, slated to come on-line to produce vaccine for the 2009-2010 season, will more than double sanofi pasteur's U.S. production capacity.
The Fluzone vaccine is given to persons 6 months of age and older for active immunization against influenza virus types A and B contained in the vaccine. Side effects include soreness at the injection site that can last up to two days, pain, and swelling; fever, fatigue, and muscular pain. This vaccine should not be administered to anyone with a history of serious allergic reaction to any vaccine component, including eggs, egg products, or thimerosal or to persons who have been previously diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS).