Flu Shot More Effective Than Nasal Vaccine For Kids, Study Finds

By Jacqueline Howard, CNN (CNN) — When it comes to vaccinating yourself — or your kids — against the flu, there are two options in the United States: a traditional shot or a nasal spray. Yet among children, the nasal spray appeared to have reduced effectiveness against the flu, compared with the shot, in past flu seasons, according to a study published in the journal Pediatrics on Monday. That finding, which involved analyzing data from several previous studies, seems to align with existing research. “We were able to better describe vaccine effectiveness in age groups that the individual studies were not able to due to small sample sizes,” said Jessie Chung, first author of the study and an epidemiologist in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Influenza Division. The flu shot in the study is an inactivated influenza vaccine. The nasal spray, FluMist, is a live attenuated influenza vaccine. Though the viruses in FluMist are live, they have been weakened — attenuated, in medical terms — and work by stimulating the immune system. MedImmune, a subsidiary of London-based AstraZeneca PLC, produces FluMist, which was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2003. Two of the new study’s 10 authors are employees of AstraZeneca, but Chung said the company was not directly involved in the study’s analysis. For the 2018-19 flu season, which began in October, three types of vaccine are availa...
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Health News CNN Flu Flu Shot Flu Vaccine Source Type: news