What Is The Flu Mist

How Long Does It Take To Work

FluMist takes about 2 weeks to work. This is why its important to get FluMist before the start of the flu season. Your body needs enough time to develop antibodies against the flu viruses.

In some cases, your child may need two doses of FluMist. . It typically takes

The Food and Drug Administration approves vaccines such as FluMist to treat certain conditions.

With Cash And A Call For New Ideas Bill Gates Tries To Boost The Campaign For A Universal Flu Vaccine

The CDC recommends everyone over the age of 6 months be vaccinated every year against the flu, unless there is a medical reason to avoid the vaccine.

Yet only about 60 percent of children between the ages of 6 months and 17 years got vaccinated against flu in 2016-2017, the most recent year for which data are available. Roughly eight out of every 10 children who died from flu werent vaccinated, said Dr. Lisa Grohskopf, a medical officer in the CDCs influenza division.

The differing advice from the CDC and the AAP on AstraZenecas FluMist could befuddle parents and pediatricians.

Theres no question that ideally we would like for the CDC and the AAP to be completely harmonized when it comes to recommendations, said Bernstein who is also a member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which guides the CDC on vaccine decisions.

Both groups are harmonized in wanting as many children to receive flu vaccine as possible each and every year, said Bernstein. When recommendations are not perfectly harmonized, it does pose the possibility for confusion.

But any confusion might be mitigated by the fact that finding FluMist might not be easy this flu season.

The decision to once again recommend it effectively giving doctors and pharmacists a go-head to use it again was made by the ACIP in late February. By that point, though, many flu vaccine orders would already have been placed for the 2018-2019 season.

How Is Flumist Given

FluMist is given as a nasal spray into each nostril.

Children ages 2 to 8 years old may need a second dose, at least 1 month after the first nasal vaccine.

The influenza virus vaccine is usually given in October or November. Follow your doctor’s instructions or the schedule recommended by your local health department.

Since the influenza virus vaccine is redeveloped each year for specific strains of influenza, you should receive a flu vaccine every year.

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Is It Safe For Everyone

No. The CDC says its OK to get it if youre healthy, between the ages 2 to 49, and not pregnant. Adults should get one dose of the vaccine per year. Kids 2 to 9 who are getting their first fluvaccine will need a second dose 4 weeks later. The first isn’t enough to prevent the flu — two doses will. Every year after that, your child will need only one dose.

These people should not get nasal spray vaccine:

• Those who have diabetes or kidney failure
• Anyone with a weakened immune system
• People whove had Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare nervous system problem, within 6 weeks of getting a flu vaccine

Here’s How Inactivated Flu Vaccines Are Made

The egg-based process to produce the majority of flu vaccines was first developed more than 70 years ago, explains the CDC. The process starts with the CDC or another lab in the World Health Organization Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System. These pubic health entities provide private manufacturers with the viruses that have been chosen for the season’s vaccine, says the CDC. These viruses are then grown in eggs according to very strict regulations established by the US Food and Drug Administration.

“The technology was developed in the late 1930s and 40s, when scientists first discovered you could grow the influenza virus in chicken eggs,” William Schaffner, MD, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, tells Health.

“The technology is very elaborate. The eggs have to be especially pure, bred specially on special farms. Those chickens are under cover so that wild birds can’t get at them and infect them,” says Dr. Schaffner. “And when you consider that we have to produce millions and millions of doses of vaccines, we need a lot of eggs.”

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Flumist And Other Medications

Below are some of the medications that can interact with FluMist. This section doesnt contain all drugs that may interact with FluMist.

Before taking FluMist, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions.

If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

FluMist and aspirin

Children ages 2 through 17 years who are taking aspirin or medication that has aspirin in it shouldnt get the FluMist vaccine.

FluMist is a live vaccine. This means that FluMist has live flu viruses in it that have been changed so that they shouldnt infect your child with the flu. If your childs immune system is healthy, their body should be able to fight the flu viruses in the vaccine. But if your child has an infection, their immune system may be too weak to fight the vaccines flu viruses.

If your child takes aspirin and is infected with the flu, theres a possible risk of Reyes syndrome. This is a rare but very serious disease that affects the brain and liver. Its not known exactly what causes Reyes syndrome. However, children who are recovering from an infection are usually at the highest risk for Reyes syndrome. And there may be a link between children who take aspirin for a viral infection and developing Reyes syndrome.

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What Is The Dosage For Influenza Nasal Vaccine

• Children 2 to 8 years of age who have not previously received FluMist should be given 2 doses of 0.2 ml at least one month apart.
• Children 2 to 8 years of age, who previously received FluMist and adults 9 to 49 years of age, should be given 1 dose of FluMist each season.
• FluMist is administered by inhaling through the nose while standing or sitting in an upright position. FluMist is not administered by injection.

Since FluMist contains viruses that are likely to cause the flu in the upcoming season, FluMist developed for previous seasons will not be effective and should not be used.

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Fact: People With Weakened Immune Systems Are Not Eligible For Flumist Quadrivalent

But others who are in close contact with certain immunocompromised people may still be eligible. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , American Academy of Pediatrics , and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America make recommendations for these circumstances.

For example, if you are in contact with someone who has HIV or is receiving chemotherapy, you may still get FLUMIST QUADRIVALENT. However, you should not get FLUMIST QUADRIVALENT if you are in close contact with someone with a severely weakened immune system, such as a person receiving stem cell transplants while they are in isolation.

Can I Receive The Flumist Vaccine If I Have Or Think I Have Covid

No. You shouldnt receive the FluMist vaccine if you have or think you have COVID-19.

If you have COVID-19, your doctor has likely told you to self-isolate . In this case, you shouldnt go out to receive the FluMist vaccine. Once your doctor has told you that youre no longer able to transmit COVID-19 to others, you can ask your doctor if FluMist is right for you.

If you think you have COVID-19, talk with your doctor. They can recommend the right testing for you. If the tests show that you dont have COVID-19, your doctor may say that you can get FluMist or a flu shot.

If you have questions about FluMist or COVID-19, talk with your doctor.

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Flu Shot Or Flu Mist: Which Is Better For You

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It had been about eight years since I got a flu shot. I never felt good after them and no matter what the doctor said to the contrary, I always felt flu-ish afterward.

My children, certainly, have gotten the flu after the flu shot. It happens every single year.

For the last eight years, I have gotten the flu. Not just a cold, but influenza, the kind that has me bed-bound for days, and weak and lethargic for another couple of weeks. When I get the flu, it knocks me down hard.

So this year I decided that five weeks of sickness last winter wasn’t going to happen again. But I didn’t want the shot.

At EmpowHER, we have received hundreds of questions and complaints about pain in the upper arm after getting flu shots, so many that I won’t get one after reading some of their stories.

Many have been in pain for several years now and others have gone through months of physical therapy as a result of wrongly-placed shots.

For more information on this, visit our very active Flu Shot threads here and here.

Many of our members have complained to the CDC about this issue.

Due to this hot topic on EmpowHER, I elected to have the newer option known as the flu mist vaccine or as most people call it, the sniffer shot.

I sniffed from a thin nasal tube one nostril at a time. A few big sniffs to get the vaccination up through my nose and about three seconds later, that was it. No needles, pain-free and no potential pain in the upper arm down the line.

Children aged 6 months – 4 years

Flumist Vs Flu Shot: What Parents Should Know

After two years off the market, the nasal FluMist is once again available as a vaccination against the influenza virus. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control both say there is no difference in protection between the mist and the injectable form of the vaccine.

However because FluMist has had a spotty track record in recent years, the AAP is not recommending it as a first choice for pediatric patients.

Because in previous season, for example the 2013-14 and 15-16 seasons, the flu mist actually did not provide adequate coverage and thats why it wasnt used last year. It is unknown how its actually going to work this year, said Dr. Samina Yousuf, an OSF HealthCare Pediatrician.

Dr. Yousuf says there are exceptions. FluMist should be used if a child will only be vaccinated if he or she can avoid a needle, or if a doctor runs out of flu shots. Unlike the injectable vaccine, FluMist includes a weakened live virus.

If you have a child who absolutely refuses to get the vaccination but agrees to the nasal, then we would then offer the nasal to them, she said. In that case they would have to be healthy, they would have to have no other chronic medical conditions.

The CDC does not share the same concerns as the AAP, and fully recommends either form of the vaccination.

She also suggests avoiding crowed areas during peak flu season when possible. Last year, peak flu season was from December through March.

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Which Drugs Or Supplements Interact With Influenza Nasal Vaccine

Children 5 to 17 years of age who are receiving aspirin therapy should not be given FluMist because of the association between aspirin, influenza infection, and Reye’s syndrome, a serious disease of the liver.

Use of FluMist together with antiviral drugs that are active against the influenza virus has not been evaluated. Since there is a potential for antiviral drugs to reduce the effectiveness of FluMist , antiviral drugs should not be administered until 2 weeks after FluMist therapy, and FluMist should not be administered until 48 hours after antiviral therapy is discontinued.

Administering FluMist with inactivated virus vaccines was not evaluated in FluMist clinical trials, and combining FluMist with other intranasal products has not been evaluated. FluMist did not interfere with, and was not affected by measles, mumps, rubella, or varicella live vaccines.

How It Is Administered

• Administered by a healthcare professional
• 1 spray in each nostril
• You don’t need to sniff. You can breathe normally while you get FLUMIST QUADRIVALENT
• It’s okay if you sneeze, blow your nose, feel dripping down your nose or throat, or swallow after receiving FLUMIST QUADRIVALENT. You still get enough FLUMIST QUADRIVALENT to help protect you against the flu

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Does Flumist Cause Autism

No, FluMist doesnt cause autism. There has been some speculation in the past that vaccines or ingredients in vaccines, such as thimerosal, may cause autism. However, there is no relationship between any vaccine and developing autism.

Many studies, such as one published in the Journal of Pediatrics, show that vaccines dont cause autism. The also says that no link has been found between the development of autism and vaccines.

If you have questions about the risks of flu vaccines, talk with your doctor.

Is It Ok To Get Flumist If I Have Diabetes

You may not be able to get FluMist if you have diabetes, including both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. This is because diabetes can weaken your immune system.

FluMist is a live vaccine, which means it has live flu viruses in it that have been weakened so that they shouldnt infect you with the flu. If your immune system is healthy, it should be able to fight the flu viruses in the vaccine. But if your immune system is weakened due to diabetes, you may not be able to fight the viruses in the vaccine.

If you have diabetes, your doctor will probably recommend that you get a flu shot instead of FluMist. Flu shots arent live vaccines. For details, see Live vs. inactive vaccine in the FluMist vs. flu shot section above.

If you have questions about which flu vaccine is right for you, talk with your doctor.

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Are Any Of The Available Flu Vaccines Recommended Over The Others

For the 2021-2022 flu season, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends annual influenza vaccination for everyone 6 months and older with any licensed, influenza vaccine that is appropriate for the recipients age and health status, including inactivated influenza vaccine , recombinant influenza vaccine , or live attenuated nasal spray influenza vaccine with no preference expressed for any one vaccine over another.

There are many vaccine options to choose from, but the most important thing is for all people 6 months and older to get a flu vaccine every year. If you have questions about which vaccine is best for you, talk to your doctor or other health care professional.

Does The Flu Shot Contains Live Virusor Not

“Many years ago, when we first started getting flu shots, they were live attenuated virus vaccines,” Michael Knight, MD, a primary care physician and assistant professor of medicine at George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates in Washington, DC, tells Health.“So if the patient was pregnant or had a weakened immune system, we couldn’t give that to them,” he says.

But that’s no longer the case. Today’s flu shots are inactivated, meaning the virusesor viral parts–in this type of vaccine can’t possibly infect anyone because they’re not alive. These are the shots that the majority of adults receive each season.

“The flu shots you get do not have a live virus that could cause infection,” says Dr. Knight.

There’s one exception: a nasal mist flu vaccine is made with live, “attenuated” viruses, says the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . The viruses weakened but not killed. Still, they cannot cause influenza, says CDC.

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Adverse Reactions In Clinical Trials

Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.

A total of 9537 children and adolescents 1-17 years of age and 3041 adults 18-64 years of age received Flumist in randomized, placebo-controlled Studies D153-P501, AV006, D153-P526, AV019, and AV009 described below. In addition, 4179 children 6-59 months of age received Flumist in Study MI-CP111, a randomized, active-controlled trial. Among pediatric Flumist recipients 6 months-17 years of age, 50% were female in the study of adults, 55% were female. In MI-CP111, AV006, D153-P526, AV019, and AV009, subjects were White , Hispanic , Asian , Black , and Other , while in D153-P501, 99% of subjects were Asian.

AdverseReactionsin Children and Adolescents

In a placebo-controlled safety study conducted in a large Health Maintenance Organization in children 1-17 years of age , an increase in asthma events, captured by review of diagnostic codes, was observed in children < 5 years of age . This observation was prospectively evaluated in Study MI-CP111.

In MI-CP111, an active-controlled study, increases in wheezing and hospitalization were observed in children < 24 months of age, as shown in Table 1.

Adverse Reactions in Adults