Scientific Publications by FDA Staff

Front Biosci 2008 May 1;13:4912-24

Influenza vaccines.

Webby RJ, Sandbulte MR

Webby, RJ (reprint author), St Jude Childrens Hosp, Dept Infect Dis, 332 N Lauderdale St, Memphis, TN 38105 USA St Jude Childrens Hosp, Dept Infect Dis, Memphis, TN 38105 USA US FDA, Ctr Biol Evaluat & Res, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA

Influenza viruses pose a major challenge to those concerned with global public health. Not only do influenza viruses cause yearly epidemics that are associated with slight changes in viral antigenicity, but occasionally new viruses cross from animal reservoirs into humans causing major pandemics. The most effective method to lower the mortality and morbidity associated with influenza is vaccination. In this review current and pending influenza vaccine technologies will be discussed in the context of both epidemic and pandemic influenza.