The H1NI influenza virus made the 2009-10 flu season particularly dangerous. Fortunately, swift action by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) and healthcare practitioners nationwide prevented what could have been a far more serious outbreak. This season, according to the CDCP, we should be spared as well, through a combination of a better influenza vaccine and a milder climate overall.

The new flu vaccine has cleared the last phase of influenza trials and has now been approved for distribution. The 2010-11 vaccine contains the H1NI vaccine in addition to two seasonal flu vaccines. Only one vaccine will needed to protect against the anticipated strains for this season.

The CDCP has also changed its guidelines. Now it recommends the flu vaccine for anyone over the age of six months, and that most kids up to age eight should receive two doses of the vaccine.

The CDCP estimates that between five and twenty percent of all Americans catch the influenza virus every year. This leads to approximately 36,000 deaths per year. The young and elderly are particularly at risk for flu-related fatality. Annual vaccinations are the key component to fighting the spread of this deadly infection.