Every year, flu makes more than 200,000 victims in the U.S., with 36,000 of them dying because of this illness.

Although last year’s vaccines were only 44% effective against the flu, the five companies that produce influenza vaccine intend to release about 143 million doses for the 2008-2009 season, according to the Associated Press.

CSL Biotherapies will make an increment from 2 million doses produced last year to 6 million. Sanofi Pastener Inc. intends to make 50 million, Novartis Vaccines 40 million and MedImmune Vaccines Inc 12 million.

The demand is very likely to fall, as this year’s season was not a successful one as regards flu prevention. Two of the three strains, against which the vaccines should have worked, were not good matches. Therefore, people are very likely to distrust the vaccines efficiency in the upcoming season. 

Reports on that data "probably doesn't help us going into the flu season, when people are thinking 'It didn't really match so how can we rely that this vaccine's OK?'" said Paul Perreault, executive vice president of CSL Biotherapies, as the AP cites.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Association are hosting a flu vaccine summit meeting in Atlanta next week.