Flu Mist Vs. Shot
During flu season, getting the flu vaccine can protect you against the seasonal flu. But what type of flu vaccine should you get? You can get your flu shot through an injection or in a nasal spray called FluMist. Most health care providers can administer both types of the flu vaccine. Because circulating strains of the flu can change each year, most doctors recommend getting the seasonal flu shot every year. It's important to note that the seasonal flu vaccine doesn't protect against H1N1 virus.
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What is FluMist?
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According to the FluMist website, your provider administers FluMist by spraying once in each nostril. FluMist is a "weakened live virus vaccine," which means it's made from a live virus that won't cause the recipient to get the flu. Like the flu shot, the FluMist vaccine is grown in eggs, the Food and Drug Administration reported. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says healthy people between the ages 2 and 49 can receive FluMist.
What is a Flu Shot?
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The CDC says the flu shot is an inactivated vaccine, or killed virus, that is given by needle in a patient's arm. Anyone who is 6 months old or older can receive the flu shot. The seasonal flu shot reduces the chance patients will get the flu by 70 to 90 percent in healthy adults, according to the CDC.
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Are Both Vaccines Effective?
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In a CDC study among children ages 15 to 85 months, the seasonal FluMist vaccine reduced the chance of influenza illness by 92 percent compared to the placebo. When the FDA evaluated FluMist, the FDA compared the nasal spray's effectiveness compared to the seasonal flu shot. The FDA found that 53 children out of 3,900 who received FluMist got the flu, compared to 93 cases of influenza out of the same number of children who received the seasonal flu shot.
Side Effects of the Flu Shot
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Patients who receive a flu vaccine may experience unpleasant side effects. Because the flu shot contains a killed virus, patients won't get the flu from the shot. However, there are other possible side effects, including soreness, redness or swelling at the injection site, low-grade fever and body aches, according to the CDC.
Side Effects of FluMist
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Because the virus used in FluMist is weakened, patients who receive it won't get the flu. Children and adults who receive FluMist may experience some side effects, including runny nose, wheezing, headache, vomiting, sore throat and muscle aches, according to the CDC.
What do I do next?
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You should always discuss any medical treatment with your doctor. Your doctor can help you decide which form of the vaccine is right for you. Both are effective at preventing influenza, but the FDA reminds us that no vaccine is 100 percent effective.
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