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Article: Trivalent vaccine offers three-way flu protection
- Article from:
- Chicago Sun-Times
- Article date:
- February 23, 1988
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright (null) Chicago Sun-Times. (Hide copyright information)
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DEAR DR. DONOHUE: With regard to the influenza shot, what
exactly does the term "trivalent" mean? J.F.
DEAR J. F.: It means the vaccine is a triple threat against the
flu. It contains the material (antigens) of three flu viruses - two
strains of A virus and one of the B virus. Those are the ones
causing most flu these days.
Last year a new strain of the A virus popped up too late to be
included in the multivalent vaccine. Protection against it had to be
provided with a single (monovalent) vaccine, one directed at the
late-appearing strain. For the very flu-susceptible person, then,
complete protection required two shots, one of the trivalent vaccine
and one with the other (monovalent) ...