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New seasonal vaccine to contain pandemic H1N1 strain


    GENEVA (Reuters) - Vaccine experts recommended on Thursday that the coming year's seasonal flu vaccine in the northern hemisphere contain three strains, including the pandemic H1N1 virus, officials said.

    The composition of the vaccine, announced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) after a meeting of influenza experts, means governments that have stockpiled doses of H1N1 swine flu vaccine may now use them for part of the seasonal flu vaccine mix. The other strains are H3N2 and B influenza.

    WHO top influenza expert Keiji Fukuda told Reuters that national health regulatory authorities would have the final say on whether to combine the three strains into a single trivalent shot or have separate monovalent vaccines administered.

    (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Jonathan Lynn)