Following adverse health reactions among children earlier this year due to the use of a flu vaccine manufactured by CSL Biotherapies, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has told doctors to avoid using the vaccine.

Health officials said in a statement that the flu vaccine produced by Australia-based pharmaceutical company CSL Biotherapies was connected to elevated rates of high fever and febrile convulsions among children vaccinated in Australia and New Zealand.

The vaccines produced for the 2010 to 2011 seasonal influenza contains strains from the H1N1 (pandemic) 2009 influenza virus, A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like virus and B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.

Doctors are advised to strictly avoid using the vaccine made by the company for children under eight years of age and particularly those of under the age of five, informed the committee.

Only a little portion of the total of 170 million doses of the vaccine produced by the company for influenza season of 2010 to 2011 are expected to reach the US. The exact figures of the doses that would be transported to the US remain unspecified.

The list of approved flu vaccines for the coming influenza season has been released last week by the Food and Drug Administration.

Here are the brand names and manufacturers for the approved list of flu vaccines:

Afluria from CSL Limited

Agriflu from Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics

Fluarix from GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals

FluLaval from ID Biomedical Corporation

FluMist from MedImmune Vaccines Inc.

Fluvirin from Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Limited

Fluzone and Fluzone High-Dose from Sanofi Pasteur Inc.

Australia Medicine