The FDA has approved this season’s flu vaccines. These include the new strains of flu deemed likely to cause illness this year in the Northern Hemisphere. The approval of the four vaccines allows manufacturers to ensure they have sufficient supplies when vaccinations begin in the fall.

The FDA cautions that none of the vaccines protect against avian flu. Influenza, a contagious respiratory illness, can be mild or severe and in those whose immunity is compromised, can lead to death. Especially at risk are children, the elderly and those who suffer from certain medical conditions. Each year in the US, up to 20% of the population get the flu and approximately 200,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths result from it.