Beginning Vaccinations in August Widens Window of Opportunity to Help Prevent
Flu; Supports Newly Expanded Federal Influenza Vaccination Recommendations for
All School-Age Children
GAITHERSBURG, Md., Aug. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- MedImmune announced today that
it began shipping FluMist(R) (Influenza Virus Vaccine Live, Intranasal) on
July 31 for the 2008-2009 influenza season. Early and wide availability of
FluMist is a key component in maximizing opportunities to vaccinate an
additional 30 million children and teenagers through the age of 18 years who
are now recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's
(CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to be vaccinated
annually against influenza.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080804/NEM027 )
The CDC also advises that flu vaccine be administered every year as soon
as it becomes available. Results of a recent analysis reported by MedImmune at
the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) revealed that
starting vaccination against influenza in August may help reach an additional
10.7 million children while they are at healthcare provider offices for
already-scheduled visits.
"To meet the goal of vaccinating every school-age child and teenager
against the flu, vaccination practices must shift to include opportunities
across a longer period of time," said Norman "Chip" Harbaugh, M.D., F.A.A.P.
of the Children's Medical Group of Atlanta. "Early availability of FluMist
gives providers the ability to reach more eligible children through
back-to-school check-ups, sports physicals and annual well-child visits with a
vaccine that has been shown to provide protection throughout the entire flu
season."
Record Number of FluMist Doses Available - and in More Locations
MedImmune will make FluMist more widely available than ever before, with
plans to produce approximately 12 million doses for the 2008-2009 season. In
addition to ongoing shipments to healthcare provider offices and clinics,
FluMist will also be available this influenza season at select retail
pharmacies and supermarkets. Please visit www.flumist.com for information
about availability of FluMist in local areas.
FluMist will also be available in nearly 200 school-based vaccination
programs and university health centers. Additionally, the U.S. Department of
Defense (DoD) has awarded MedImmune a contract for FluMist for the fourth
consecutive year to help vaccinate eligible active duty military personnel and
their families.
FluMist is available in every state through the federally funded Vaccines
for Children (VFC) program, which provides vaccines at no cost to eligible
children. FluMist is also covered by approximately 94 percent of private
health plans which offer immunization benefits.
About FluMist
FluMist is a live attenuated influenza virus vaccine indicated for active
immunization of individuals two to 49 years of age against influenza disease
caused by influenza virus subtypes A and type B contained in the vaccine.
FluMist is contraindicated in individuals with history of hypersensitivity
to eggs, egg proteins, gentamicin, gelatin or arginine or with
life-threatening reactions to previous influenza vaccinations, and in children
and adolescents receiving concomitant aspirin or aspirin-containing therapy.
Do not administer FluMist to children less than two years of age due to an
increased risk of hospitalization and wheezing that was observed in clinical
trials. FluMist should not be administered to any individual with asthma and
to children less than five years of age with recurrent wheezing unless the
potential benefit outweighs the potential risk. Do not administer FluMist to
individuals with severe asthma or active wheezing.
If Guillain-Barre syndrome has occurred with prior influenza vaccination
or if an individual is immunocompromised, the decision to give FluMist should
be based on careful consideration of the potential benefits and risks. FluMist
should not be administered to individuals with underlying medical conditions
predisposing them to wild-type influenza infection complications unless the
potential benefit outweighs the potential risk. FluMist should be given to a
pregnant woman only if clearly needed.
Most common adverse reactions (occurring in 10 percent or more of
individuals receiving FluMist and at a rate at least five percent higher than
in those receiving placebo) are runny nose or nasal congestion in recipients
of all ages, fever more than 100 degrees F in children two to six years of
age, and sore throat in adults.
FluMist may not protect all individuals receiving the vaccine. FluMist is
for intranasal administration only.
Please see complete Prescribing Information for FluMist, call
1-877-FLUMIST (1-877-358-6478) or visit
http://www.medimmune.com/pdf/products/flumist_pi.pdf
for additional information.
About MedImmune
MedImmune is wholly owned by AstraZeneca plc (LSE: AZN.L, NYSE: AZN) and
is the worldwide biologics business for the AstraZeneca Group. The company has
approximately 3,000 employees worldwide and is headquartered in Gaithersburg,
Maryland. MedImmune strives to provide better medicines to patients, new
medical options for physicians and rewarding careers to employees. Dedicated
to advancing science and medicine to help people live better lives, the
company is focused on infection, oncology, respiratory disease and
inflammation, cardiovascular/gastrointestinal disease and neuroscience. For
more information, visit MedImmune's website at www.medimmune.com .
SOURCE MedImmune
-0- 08/04/2008
/NOTE TO EDITORS: In your coverage of influenza prevention, please
recognize that the term "flu shot" is not an accurate way to report or
describe influenza vaccinations. Please consider the more general term "flu
vaccine" to cover both options available to people ages 2-49: the nasal spray
influenza vaccine and the traditional flu shot. Please communicate this
information to copy and headline editors. Images of FluMist are available upon
request by contacting Karen Lancaster at 301-398-5864 or
lancasterk@medimmune.com/
/CONTACT: Media, Karen Lancaster, +1-301-398-5864, or Investors, Peter
Vozzo, +1-301-398-4358, both of MedImmune/
/Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080804/NEM027
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN10
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com/
/Web site: http://www.medimmune.com
http://www.flumist.com
http://www.flumist.com/prescribing-information.aspx /
(AZN)
CO: MedImmune; AstraZeneca plc; U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention; CDC
ST: Maryland
IN: MTC HEA IDC
SU: CHI
LB-EE
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3728 08/04/2008 08:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com