Geneva - Vaccination shots given in the southern hemisphere ahead of the 2010 influenza season should also include a dose against swine flu, the World Health Organization said Wednesday. The southern part of the globe's flu season is expected to start next May and last until October 2010.
In advisory documents posted on its Website, the WHO said three different viruses should be included for those receiving vaccines, two of which would be against regular seasonal flu and the other for the A(H1N1) pandemic.
"At this time, WHO is not in a position to advice whether there should be one trivalent influenza vaccine containing all three viruses, or whether there should be separate vaccines for pandemic and seasonal influenza," a document read.
The WHO said it would convene an expert group in October to discuss the issue.
In February next year, the organization would issue guidance for vaccines to be used in the northern hemisphere during the influenza season set to occur between November 2010 to April 2011.
Meanwhile, the pandemic A(H1N1) virus, which first emerged in April, was becoming "much more" common than the current seasonal strain of the same virus, the WHO reported.
