FluMist-related stories
Flu vaccine may one day be shot-free for kids
Many a child has been temporarily traumatized by the sight of a shot when vaccine time arrives, and although products like FluMist are safe for adults, kids are still subject to those flu shots when the time comes.A better, under-the-tongue alternative may be coming your way soon, though. Korean research on mice has determined that a flu vaccine administered under the tongue worked great without the need for a needle prick (and accompanying emotional torture for many kids).
Will most vaccines be delivered without breaking the skin in the near future? It seems that there are always drawbacks to non-shot vaccines, but anything in medicine should be possible now that the human genome has been decoded.
Panel approves FluMist for kids under 5
A federal advisory panel suggested this week that kids under five years of age (as young as two) can now be given nasal spray flu vaccines. Previously, the recommended age for this type of vaccine included kids only above age five.
FluMist, the most popular nasal flu vaccine, was found to be safe and effective in children as young as two years old, according to several recent studies.
As such, the FDA approved its use in kids aged two to five in September to ensure as many people as possible had access to vaccinations against the latest wave of the flu that is expected sometime at the start of next year, possibly into February.
FluMist, the most popular nasal flu vaccine, was found to be safe and effective in children as young as two years old, according to several recent studies.
As such, the FDA approved its use in kids aged two to five in September to ensure as many people as possible had access to vaccinations against the latest wave of the flu that is expected sometime at the start of next year, possibly into February.
No delay for FluMist, even with FDA warning
MedImmune's nasal-applied FluMist won't see any problems with U.S. availability, even after manufacturing issues at a United Kingdom plant showed up. The FDA appears to not be concerned here. Is it for good reason? Read on.MedImmune deviated from standard manufacturing processed in making bulk lots of the FluMist nasal vaccine at its UK plant, which resulted in some bacteria and mold contamination. With the contamination happening at a very early stage of the manufacturing process, no huge warning signals were fired.
Also, since the finished lots of FluMist had zero contamination, the FDA saw no reason to suspend sales at this time.
FluMist works better in kids than flu shot
Celebs & Entertainment, Nutrition & Supplements
Do you vaccinate your kids against the flu? If so, this is news you may want to hear. CDC regulations have been changing; they used to recommend that children 6 months to 2 years be vaccinated against the flu every winter, but recently they expanded that age range to 5 years old. A recent study found, however, that the nasal spray FluMist is more effective than the traditional flu shot in preventing influenza in some children.
When the 8000+ preschoolers involved in the study were given the vaccine in either form, less of them came down with the flu. But the group that was given the nasal spray version of the vaccine came down with the illness over half as often. Not only that, they developed fewer of the dreaded secondary ear infections that usually accompany the flu, and fewer lower respiratory infections as well. The flu shot uses a killed flu virus, while FluMist uses live, weakened viruses. In addition, by applying the vaccine through the nose, the upper respiratory passages build a greater amount of anti-bodies to the flu, which is important since that's where the flu bug lives and multiplies. Of course, there are some conditions: babies under the age of 12 months and children who have a history of wheezing should not be given the vaccine, due to risk of developing wheezing problems, and the traditional injected flu vaccine is the safer version for them.
That sound you hear? It's the cheering of thousands of kids who will get one less poke of the needle this year.
When the 8000+ preschoolers involved in the study were given the vaccine in either form, less of them came down with the flu. But the group that was given the nasal spray version of the vaccine came down with the illness over half as often. Not only that, they developed fewer of the dreaded secondary ear infections that usually accompany the flu, and fewer lower respiratory infections as well. The flu shot uses a killed flu virus, while FluMist uses live, weakened viruses. In addition, by applying the vaccine through the nose, the upper respiratory passages build a greater amount of anti-bodies to the flu, which is important since that's where the flu bug lives and multiplies. Of course, there are some conditions: babies under the age of 12 months and children who have a history of wheezing should not be given the vaccine, due to risk of developing wheezing problems, and the traditional injected flu vaccine is the safer version for them.
That sound you hear? It's the cheering of thousands of kids who will get one less poke of the needle this year.
