While most parents understand that having their children vaccinated against the flu is a good idea to keep them healthy, most kids do not like receiving a flu shot every year. Fortunately, an alternative has been created in the form of the FluMist nasal spray flu vaccine. All children and adults aged six months and older have been urged to receive the seasonal influenza vaccine each year, except those with specified contraindications. Since it is made using a live attenuated influenza virus, the FluMist vaccine has more stringent eligibility requirements.
Most people will rather have the Flumist if it means avoiding the flu shot. This vaccination is recommended for healthy children. Exceptions include children at the greatest risk of severe complications if they get influenza. The nasal spray flu vaccine is not recommended for those in the following categories:
There are certain distinctions between the nasal spray and the flu shot that may impact a parent's choice, such as:
Price factor: FluMist costs slightly more than a flu shot in general, but because it has been around for a long time, most insurance companies cover it, which means the cost difference is not significant.
Live vs. dead viruses: FluMist is created with live influenza viruses, unlike the flu shot prepared with dead influenza viruses. The live virus in FluMist is, however, weakened and will not cause flu infection. A nasal spray is not advised for those who care for highly immunocompromised patients who need a protected environment, however. The alternative is to avoid physical contact with such persons for at least seven days after getting the vaccine.
Nasal congestion: FluMist is administered via the nose, so some experts believe that it may be less effective for those with nasal congestion, whether caused by allergies or a cold.
Thimerosal: FluMist does not include thimerosal as a preservative. Although there is a flu vaccine without preservatives, it is not as extensively distributed as the conventional flu shot with thimerosal, which means it may not be readily available.
The nasal spray flu vaccine has been demonstrated in many studies by the CDC to be as effective and safe as a flu vaccine. It may also provide extended and enhanced protection against mismatched strains, such as when the flu vaccination does not precisely cover the flu virus strains circulating that year.
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The nasal spray flu vaccine's efficacy varies from year to year, much like the flu shot. This reason is that it contains flu strains expected to circulate, and nature has a way of subverting specialists' best estimates. Still, they continue to work hard on creating an effective flu vaccine for each season.
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