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About Seasonal Flu


Dialogue Series: Influenza Prevention & Healthcare Reform

Influenza ('the flu') is an acute, usually self-limited febrile illness caused by infection with influenza A or B virus that occurs in outbreaks almost every winter. Flu disrupts the lives of millions of people every year. Typically, flu symptoms include bouts of shivering, sweating, high fever, muscle aches, pains in the back and legs, weakness and extreme tiredness, with an unproductive cough that becomes more severe and productive within two or three days of onset.

All these symptoms are rapidly debilitating. Often, people struggle with these symptoms until they reach the point where bed rest, medical intervention and even hospitalizations are unavoidable. By this time, they may have been unknowingly spreading the virus for days and passed it on to loved ones, friends, colleagues or others.

The two most important features of influenza are the epidemic nature of the disease and the mortality that results from its complications. No other single condition exacts such an enormous toll on the workplace, healthcare resources, absenteeism, and productivity.

The flu is a serious illness.

Each year, up to 1 person in 5 contracts influenza, mostly during the winter months. In the United States, about 200,000 flu-related hospitalizations and 36,000 flu-related deaths have been reported annually over the past several years. Everyone is at risk, but senior citizens, young children and people with certain chronic diseases are all at increased risk of fatal complications caused by the flu.

Influenza is difficult to avoid due to the airborne nature of the virus. What’s the best way to prevent the infection and stop spread of the virus? Getting vaccinated every year.

In the Northern hemisphere, vaccination occurs between September and February. Individuals over age 65, people with underlying medical conditions, and children being vaccinated for the first time should preferably receive a flu vaccination in the early fall. This allows the person’s immune system to build the necessary volume of antibodies that will combat the virus when it arrives later in the year.

Vaccination is still recommended in late February and must always be considered if the annual peak of epidemics has not yet been reached. The healthcare community and news media are good sources of information about the geographical progress of the annual outbreak. Patients have an increasing ability to access different sources of medical knowledge in order to learn more about when and how to be vaccinated.

The United State Department of Health & Human Services expects that by 2010 up to 65% of the U.S. population will be vaccinated against influenza annually. CSL Biotherapies is committed to helping achieve this standard of care.

A new entrant to the U.S. and European flu markets, CSL Biotherapies is well qualified to offer a reliable defense against influenza and aims to efficiently contribute to influenza immunization programs in these two regions.

At CSL Biotherapies, delivering vaccines is our mission -- protecting lives, our passion.

Read the 2008 recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), on the prevention and control of influenza .