Hello,
I am trying to figure out whether the intranasal flu vaccine is as good as the injectable one. Why wouldn't every pediatrician use it if it were? I have read that the intranasal is more likely to cause illness to the child and those around him/her since it is a live strain of virus. Is this true? Then why are so many docs using it....just to avoid a "shot?" Any experience with the intranasal, good or bad?
Thanks to everyone for their input-this helped a lot. The pharmacist that I got a shot from said that she would not use the nasal form since it makes those around you sick. I know better now and realize there are certain precautions, but it is not as virulent as I thought. Thank you!
We used the nasal form last year and no one got sick, but we are a generally healthy family anyway. Thanks for asking the question. I learned something new today!
The nasal one is for 2 yrs and up I believe-check with your ped. Also both my kids got it last yr and soon to be this year and they did not get sick. I don't think it makes u sick-peple just think that we asked our ped last year.L.:)
I sold Tamiflu, an antiviral medication, during flu vaccine many years ago when Flumist was just coming onto the market.
There are certainly people who should not use Flumist. It is generally more expensive. I don't have a problem paying the difference, but I also don't have a problem with shots.
It's FDA approved for anyone aged 2-49 with exceptions. The FDA requires all safety/risk information to be prominently displayed on the websites of pharmaceutical companies. You'll find the homepage listed below will answer a few of your questions: http://www.flumist.com/
The CDC released a study last week about thimerosol (the preservative that has been controversial for a few years) and found no link to autism.
Ask your pediatrician and pharmacist their opinions - they are much more experts than we are on the subject.
My daughter got it for the first time last fall. She was 2.5. She did not get sick and no one around her got sick.
My youngest can not get it because he had RSV as a baby that lead to asthma. Even though he has out grown the asthma, he still can not get it. They force my husband to as part of his job, and every year he got sick from it. This year he took his netti pot with him, as soon as he left he blew his nose and than used his netti pot to clean his sinus passages, and this is the first year he has not gotten sick directly after the inranasal vaccine.
There are restrictions on it. My 3 year old can't get it because of severe allergies and RSV as an infant. My 5 year old just got it and was so excited because he didn't have to get a shot - he didn't get sick from it. It is a weakend, live form of the virus in the flu mist, whereas the shot is the killed form.
My 4.5 year old has had it for 2 flu seasons now with no side effects that I noticed. She says it makes her nose feel funny right after they spray it but after that, nothing. She chooses it over the shots which she hates. We've had no ill effects whatsoever.
Yes it its true flumist is a live virus and the flu shot is not. If you have anyone in your family that is at risk you should not get flumist. My oldest has asthma so we are all subjected to the shot.
My daughter is now 7.
Since, She has gotten the nasal version... for the past 2 years.
I get that for her, because my daughter hates shots.
She has not gotten the flu ever, nor has she gotten any side effects from it.
It has no Thimerosol in it.
My Mom, and elderly person/senior citizen, also lives with us, and it has posed no problems nor her getting sick from my daughter. Nor have any of us, gotten sick from her, after getting the nasal flu vaccine.
I personally, have gotten this year's injectable flu shot, WITHOUT the preservatives in it.
There is that option to. So ask for that. It has no Thimerosol in it.
I have gotten NO side effects.
I get the injectable version, because I have Asthma. I cannot take the nasal version.
all the best,
Susan
