Nasal Spray Flu Vaccine Now Approved for Kids as Young as Two Years of Age
Thursday, September 27, 2007
FluMist, the nasal spray form of the flu vaccine, has been used as an alternative to getting an injected flu shot for many years for ages 5 years through 50 years. This week, FluMist was just approved for use down to age 2 years.
Does the nasal spray have any advantages over the shot, besides being pain-free? It has been shown to be more than 50% effective than the flu shot. However, the nasal spray also has a slightly higher rate of flu-like side effects.
A major advantage of the nasal spray is that it is mercury free. Many brands of the flu shot still contain mercury. The single-dose vials of the Fluzone brand of the flu shot are the only flu shots that are completely mercury free.
Does the nasal spray have any advantages over the shot, besides being pain-free? It has been shown to be more than 50% effective than the flu shot. However, the nasal spray also has a slightly higher rate of flu-like side effects.
A major advantage of the nasal spray is that it is mercury free. Many brands of the flu shot still contain mercury. The single-dose vials of the Fluzone brand of the flu shot are the only flu shots that are completely mercury free.
Labels: Vaccine News
posted by Dr. Bob Sears @ 1:29 PM
11 Comments:
At October 1, 2007 10:53 AM ,
Anonymous said...
Is it true that the flumist vaccine can get into the air and infect other people in the vicinity?
At October 2, 2007 5:31 PM ,
Dr. Bob Sears said...
No, this isn't true. Good question though
At October 4, 2007 7:53 AM ,
Anonymous said...
http://www.askdrsears.com/thevaccinebook/
At October 4, 2007 7:53 AM ,
Anonymous said...
Dr Sears, can you cite studies? The common perception on the internet by mom's who religiously study the literature claim that flumist does in fact shed. Although I have never seen if the shedding is part of the administration, maybe staying in the nostril and entering the air via sneezing, or shedding via pee/poop. Can you confirm?
At October 4, 2007 9:21 AM ,
Dr. Bob Sears said...
I'm glad you are keeping me honest. What I meant is that right when the nasal spray is administered, there is no evidence that it spreads around in the air yet and possibly infect the person administering it or anyone else nearby.
BUT, according to the product insert for the vaccine, it HAS been established that the flu virus from the vaccine that creates a minor infection in the nose CAN be transmitted to others and cause the flu.
A study of about 200 kids (half got Flumist and have did not) showed that over the next few weeks, ONE unvaccinated child caught the vaccine strain of the flu.
So, it CAN be transmitted, but it is NOT very common. I don't think this warrants any special precautions. It would mean unvaccinated kids would have to stay out of daycare for the entire flu season. And you chance of catching the regular flu is much higher than catching the vaccine strain anyway.
Thanks for the good question.
At October 8, 2007 2:20 PM ,
Anonymous said...
I was the original poster. I was just asking because it was on the news way back when Walmart (I believe) stopped giving the flumist because elderly patrons were catching the flu from standing in line at the pharmacy where they were giving the flumist nasal spray. I have nothing to back that up, just heard it on the news so thought I'd ask if it was true. What would happen if someone got the flumist and then directly sneezed on a person behind them? Could they infect that person? I know whenever I inject anything into my nose I sneeze and some people just don't cover their noses when they sneeze.
At October 10, 2007 5:59 PM ,
Wendy Callahan said...
You have not done your homework Dr Sears. You might want to read the package insert for the flumist. It says the vaccine sheds for 21 days. Here is an excerpt�..Virus shedding was evaluated for 21 days by culture of nasal swabs obtained from each subject approximately three times per week. Wild-type A (H3N2) influenza virus was documented to have circulated in the Package Insert (Circular) 16 June 2003
Page 7 of 19
community and in the study population during the trial, whereas Type A (H1N1) and Type B strains did not. Eighty percent of FluMist recipients shed at least one vaccine strain, with a mean duration of shedding of 7.6 days (range 1-21 days). The cold-adapted (ca) and temperature-sensitive (ts) phenotypes were preserved in all shed viruses tested (n=135 tested of 250 strains isolated at the local laboratory). A total of seven placebo subjects shed 10 influenza isolates. One placebo subject shed a Type B virus confirmed to be a vaccine strain. This Type B isolate retained the ca, ts, and att phenotypes of the vaccine strain, and had the same genetic sequence when compared to a Type B virus shed by a vaccine recipient within the same playgroup. Six placebo subjects shed nine isolates identified as Type A, two of these subjects had two cultures that grew Type A strains (four isolates) confirmed as wild-type A/Panama (H3N2). The remaining four placebo subjects shed Type A isolates that could not be further characterized, and thus vaccine strains could not be excluded.
At October 11, 2007 7:19 PM ,
Dr. Bob Sears said...
You are right, Wendy, as I already said in the post before yours. So I'm not sure what you mean by not doing my homework. I'm reading the same PI that you are.
anonymous - It sounds possible that someone could sneeze right away and pass the germs on. But I'm not sure if this was evaluated in the Product Insert Info. But we DO know it can be transmitted AFTER it is administered - for the next few weeks.
At October 11, 2007 9:13 PM ,
Wendy Callahan said...
This is what I was calling to your attention Dr Sears.
Eighty percent of FluMist recipients shed at least one vaccine strain, with a mean duration of shedding of 7.6 days (range 1-21 days).
You said one kid shed the virus. If you have 80% of a vaccinated group shedding virus for 21 days, an iatrogenic pandemic is possible. I'm hoping that is not the plan.
At October 21, 2007 9:29 AM ,
Dr. Bob Sears said...
Wendy - I didn't say one kid SHED the virus, I said ONE unvaccinated kid was found to have picked up the vaccine-strain, and a few others in the study MAY have picked it up as well, but that was verified. You are right though, most kids do shed it.
At September 13, 2009 4:42 PM ,
Sarah aka "Elliemae" said...
Dr. Sears-
I am a breastfeeding mother of a nine week old. I read the CDC website and it said FluMist was not contraindicated for nursing mothers so I got the Flumist vaccine. Then I was thinking about the fact that it's a live virus so I put a mask on to nurse my baby while I Googled for more info. FluMist PI says nursing mothers should use "caution" due to close proximity and uncertainty about the virus passing thru breastmilk. Now I'm really scared my baby will get the flu because of this "shedding" process. She doesn't take a bottle yet either.
What should I do?
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