Novartis to deliver flu vaccine weeks ahead of schedule

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. Worries over the influenza A (H1N1) virus have prompted one drug maker to deliver its seasonal flu vaccine weeks ahead of schedule.

Novartis announced Wednesday that it had started shipping its Fluvirin vaccine to healthcare facilities for the 2009-2010 flu season. The delivery began weeks ahead of schedule due to increased demand created by the A (H1N1) pandemic, though Fluvirin does not protect against the A (H1N1) strain.

“With the A (H1N1) influenza pandemic underway, it is important that we take every possible precaution to help protect U.S. citizens from all circulating strains of influenza,” Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics CEO Andrin Oswald said in a statement. “By receiving the seasonal influenza vaccine early, physicians and public health officials can better prepare for the upcoming flu season.”

Seasonal influenza results in the deaths of an estimated 36,000 people and hospitalization of 200,000 in the United States every year, mostly among the elderly and infirm.