Chiron Corp. says on Wednesday that it expects to provide a vaccine for the 2005-2006 flu season after a recent favorable inspection of the plant by U.S. regulators, reports Reuters

The company had to postpone U.S. sales of its flu vaccine last year due to contamination problems at its plant in England, which led to the withdrawal of its manufacturing license for Fluvirin last October.

The disruption in production hampered flu vaccine supply in the United States, forcing the U.S. government to launch a worldwide hunt for alternative supplies late last year.

However, the California-based company on Wednesday declares that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a positive report after its nine-day inspection of the Liverpool plant in July.

"We remain focused on our objective of delivering Fluvirin vaccine to the U.S. market in support of public health efforts to prepare for the upcoming influenza season," the company says in a statement.