September 29th, 2008

National health officials say that enough flu vaccinations are available, so that anybody who needs/wants one will be able to obtain protection from the flu, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

As usual, the vaccine contains three strains of flu. This year, there are two Type A Brisbane strains and one Type B Florida strain.

Daniel B. Jernigan, deputy director of the CDC influenza division, said in contrast to last year at this time, there is no indication that the three strains used to make up the vaccine supply will not be the strains that hit the United States.

“We are optimistic that this year’s vaccine will be on target,” he said, adding that the effectiveness depends on the immune status, health and age of the person receiving the vaccine, and whether the vaccine matches the virus in circulation.